-Interludes to each and their own 3-

-Holy city Alexandria backyard-

“KYAAAH!”

In the middle of the night...

A girl with a cleric outfit and a brown hair is flying away while spinning in the sky.

While it is normally impossible, this happened regardless…

*BOOM!*

With a loud sound, she fall into the land and made some crater.

“uuu….”

She crawl back from the hole.

Apparentely, she survived from the fall.

If it was normal person, they might end up as a meat paste and turn into splatter.

Even though she survived, her head is dizzy, and her body still aches all over.

Her mind is screaming to collapse and just fall down like that.

But,

Despite her wish, the girl is still conscious.

To be exact,

because of her unique skill...

She cannot fall unconscious no matter what.

“Get up”

A stern yet lovely voice is made.

The owner of the voice, a girl which seems far younger than her is speak to her.

She have a short shiny blonde hair and a cute face that looked like she was only 13 years old.

“At.. at least let me rest please! We have been doing it for three hours straight without any break...”

‘Tsk’

While muttering such a annoyed reaction,

the small girl made a face unthinkable to be made with her lovely face.

Then,

*BAM*

“GHUEH!?”

She was kicking arisa in the side of her solar plexus, and she was flying again and end up crashing into the tree.

Then,

making a stern face, the little girl made a angry pose while yelling.

“YOU FOOL!”

“IF YOU HAVE TIME TO TALK USE IT TO HEAL YOURSELF AND START MOVING! IF YOU’RE STILL ALIVE THEN MOVE YOUR BODY SO EVERYONE AROUND YOU CAN STAY ALIVE! HOW MANY TIMES I HAD TOLD YOU THAT!”

After her yelling, Arisa grab her stomach in pain while made a pose like a caterpillar and cursing her unique skill for not making her fall unconscious even at this time.

Ahh..!

Why..!

Why should i do this!?

Starting to regret her decision, she was reminiscing the first time she was meeting this girl.

…

Back when averunks country is ruined,

because it was decided that Shuu is coming into royal capital abona and Yuya into the military country Grandom, the only one left for Arisa to choose is holy city Alexandria.

In fact, she didn't have any other choice because of a certain oracle.

However,

she didn't really want to come here if possible.

“uuu”

Arisa is hesitating to open the door.

That’s because...

She heard the various rumor about the current leader of that country.

11th holy maiden “the god of war” Lily la arkenia.

Renown as the strongest barehanded fighter in the world, she was known to be the most violent incarnate of holy maiden in generation.

The rumor about her is that she never leaves any survivor to the enemy that attacks her home country, and a rumor that she wipes an entire city controlled by a demon and the inhabitants single handedly is already famous everywhere.

The rumor even said that if she was a bounty target instead of a holy maiden, the guild would probably categorized her as s rank monster.

Some people even said that her appearance is not changed at all for 50 years and start suspect that she was not even a human.

Rumor about her identity is various, for the people that she saved she was called as angel that sent by the Goddess. For her enemy, she was called last boss.

That's just shows how dangerous she is.

The position of the holy maiden in generation is decided by the oracle of a divine artifact that the first holy maiden left.

Divine artifact “future sight”

It shows the one worthy to become the holy maiden.

Whetever they’re currently a criminals, villagers, noble,or common villagers, as long they’re females the artifact never failed to choose the next holy maiden.

It was rumored that a certain Goddess power is tied with that artifact, but the legitimacy of that is unknown.

It was without a doubt that the next holy maiden is chosen by this artifact in generation.

Regardless of one personal upbringing and personality that is.

If there's nobody worthy, the artifact won’t show anyone and will keep quiet forever.

And suddenly,

the artifact shows the girl who deserved to become the next holy maiden last month.

Then,

either by a luck or curse, Arisa has been chosen to become the next holy maiden.

However, because it was impossible to suddenly inherit the position suddenly, the new holy maiden is gonna be trained in around two years by the previous one until they become full fledged holy maiden.

The rule had made recently to avoid a talentless person as a holy maiden.

Depends on the talent it can be faster, but if the previous one judge they’re talentless it can be longer.

In fact, it was not weird that some of previous holy maiden candidate is already becoming old granny when the previous holy maiden is agree they’re suited to succeed them.

It was actually not rare that some of them is running away from the holy maiden position and hides themself from the rest of society.

As a hero and a holy maiden, she received a lot of expectations so she cannot refuse.

….

Arisa was afraid to meet such a scary person at first.

However,

there’s no other better choice if she want to survive in this world.

Bracing herself, she finally going to meet her.

*gulp*

Behind the door...

Lies one of the strongest human in the current era.

With a *creak*

Arisa opens the door

There...

she was completely surprised

“Thanks for coming, lady Arisa”

…!

She was surprised.

A beautiful angel is greeting her!

Making a smile, the beautiful girl in front of her made a dignified looks.

Just like...

a messenger of gods in the picture book

“My name is Lily la arkenia, also called as the 11th holy maiden”

“Now…

I believe you had heard about our purpose for being here right?”

Continuing to speak, she made a apologetic face.

“I am sorry to suddenly ask you to come with us”

“But, in order to honor our ancient covenant, we have to ask you to lend us your strength”

Making a dignified bow, the girl in front of Arisa speaked.

“I understand that there's probably some confusing circumstance regarding why you're suddenly being chosen not as the hero but holy maiden too. After all, such a case is the first ever since the founding of the country.”

“However, rest assured that we will offer you our full support”

“So, please lend us your strength”

Saying that...

the girl make a bow.

…

Arisa seems dumbfounded at first...

But,

Making a determined face, she was accepting it eventually.

“I... don't know if my power can be helpful, but”

“If i can be a help, please let me do anything i can”

The girl made a smiling face and said.

“Thank you”

She was so adorable at a moment that arisa wants to hugged her.

At least,

she once had that kind of delusion.

…

“UWEERGH”

Vomiting even her breakfast, Arisa made such an unlady like expression that can made her fan in the previous world crying in disbelief.

“So you’re already reach your limit, huh?”

Said the little girl in front of her without a sympathy.

Even with this much of beating, Arisa is still conscious.

…..

Unique skill “indomitable”

It was the skill that Arisa received as a hero.

Its effect is making the user cannot faint from any status ailment or external factor no matter what.

The only exception is probably death. Well, if eternal sleep is counted.

Arisa can sleep normally because it was a natural act instead of status abnormality.

She was curious why she was the only one received such a battle purpose skill, but the other two heroes making fun of her by saying it’s probably because arisa head is full of flowers.

Muu, they’re really like to make fun of me! Think Arisa.

But,

this time,

Arisa really wished that she didn't have this cheat instead.

…

Arisa cannot move a muscle anymore and standing limplessly with dead fish eye like a zombie.

All she need is start to speak “AaAAAAAAaa” and probably nobody can differentiate between her and actual zombie.

Then,

the previous holy maiden lift and carry her in her shoulder to her room.

With strength that was unimaginable coming from such a small body.

“Rest for now, once you had fully recovered come back to my office tomorrow”

Saying such a spartan like menu, the dangerous battle instructor is mercilessly going to dry her up!

Getting thrown away into her room, Arisa finally manages to rest.

“Wuu…”

Once she start to regain some of her strength, she start to treat her body.

Her body aches and tired all over from muscular pain and fatigue.

The wound and bruise is mostly healed now, but she cant heal the fatigue and the tired mind of experiencing such a extreme pain.

“No more...”

Arisa thought the training as a healer is involving training your magic while focusing on praying to Goddess and keep using her healing magic.

At least, she was previously only doing that before.

But,

the previous (and currently) holy maiden is a spartan.

“If you have a time to pray, use it to train your body instead. Without some fundamental for your body, you can forget about even manage to healing your comrade. You would die first. What, you don’t like it? Then train your healing magic and body at the same time”

With psychical training that completely different than previous one, Arisa was keep tortured.. trained under severe circumstances.

Survival in the middle of forest with monsters, using healing magic until she was on the verge of fainting and using it again after recovered, extreme fasting and starvation hell for whole month, waking up in the middle of night and sparred with the most monstrous instructor in the world.

With such a extreme condition that pushed her mentally and psychically, Arisa reaching her limit.

“Papa.. mama.. mii-chan..”

She was remembering her parents and her iguana pet.

“Am i.. doing the right thing?”

While thinking about it,

she was reminded of her time in the previous world.

….

It happened when she was in the middle school.

Arisa is known to be friendly to everyone.

However,

because of that she was tired of everyone treating her too much like a idol or mascot.

She don't really like it,

a friend is supposed to be sharing bad things and good things together.

So she want an actual friend this time.

One day,

she approached a group of three girls talking with each others.

Thinking to have a friend this time, she was braving herself.

“W...would you please become my friend?”

With a nervous tone that usually unthinkable coming from her.

The girls looking at each other at first.

Then,

laughing at her, they made fun of her.

“Huuh? You're so funny. Miss Arisa-san which can takes any boys she wants wants to become our friend?”

“Why not just ask your boyfriend then? I bet you can ask them once you spread your legs or something, KYAHAHAHA”

Thinking she was failed, she start to made a troubled face.

Then,

After thinking something, their leader like woman is smiling at her.

“Sure”

While it dumbfounded the other two girls.

“But, it wasn't free you know?”

“?”

Cannot understand what she means, arisa only confused.

Then,

her nightmare begins.

….

When she was coming to school tomorrow, she got a problem.

Her locker is filled with a trash and her personal things is torned all over the place.

Her desk is torned apart, and a dead fish is hung there.

She even got some thumbnails inside

her shoes , then she got injured and carried into the school infirmary.

Everyone is surprised from this bullying to her.

She was known to be kind to everyone.

Thats why,

such a hostility is a first.

Her fan is getting angry and tried to find the culprit.

But Arisa herself is actually ask them to not mind it.

They seems to cannot accept that. But after Arisa desperately asked them to not speak to teacher too, they had given up and start to leave her alone.

That’s because,

she know the culprit is.

…

“Did you know? Everyone that become our friends is having a ritual”

“Ritual?”

Once the leader girl is accepting Arisa request, she start to demand her condition.

Seemingly confused, the other two is confused too.

“Thaats right. think of it as ritual for becoming our friend. Kinda like rite of passage. Right guys?”

Looking at each other, the other two is confused at first. But finally realizing her intention, they all laughs.

“Yeah yeah, it was a necessary ritual to become our friend”

“If you do well, we might really become best friend, besties for short you know. Ahaha!”

Then,

accepting her terms, Arisa made a smile thinking she was finally able to have a friend.

Starting tomorrow,

she was receiving a various text message like a mission “go open your locker, or come to your desk this morning”

She was feeling something strange at first, but she accepts them anyway.

After that, she was caught into their various act of bullying.

It's actually the first time she received such a evil intent from someone.

But thinking it was normal act for everyone to become a friend she was trying to enduring it inside.

If only she had a actual friend, they might be able to warn her that this was just a bullying.

Thought all she just needs is endure, she was accepting all of their request like mission.

One day,

saying if she can succeed this time they would become her friend for real.

Finally glad she was gonna be succeed, she was determined this time.

She was following the mission,

the content is that she must stay in the hotel they decided and spend the night inside like she usually do in home. That's all.

Thinking it was strangely lax compared to the previous one Arisa is surprised

But,

just once more,

i can finally have a actual friend this time.

Receiving the key and room number, she planned to stay there tonight.

After taking a bath, she was prepared to sleep.

Planning to change her clothes, she was coming out from the bathroom.

Then,

“?”

Her room is opened by someone.

Thinking it was a room service, she was panicked.

Because her condition is only wearing a towel right now.

Then,

some three man coming out from the door and start to come nearing her. Without hesitation, one of them is bringing a camera.

“OOH! IT WAS REALLY ARISA-CHAN!”

“!?”

She was surprised from the group of man that suddenly comes without a warning.

“I.. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT. SHE WAS EVEN CUTER THAN IN THE PHOTO”

“S..SHE WAS ALREADY PREPARED FOR US TOO. HAA HAA”

She was surprised and didn't have any time to react.

“HMM? WHY SUCH A DUMBFOUNDED FACE? WE ALREADY PAID A BIG SUM FOR THIS, YOU ALREADY PREPARED RIGHT?”

“!?”

Paid? What does he means?

“But really, you're such a slut. Still a middle school girl and already sold your body. Aren't you naughty? What if your school know about this?”

?

Sold?

What does he…

“MMPH?”

Before Arisa is able to collect her mind,

one of the man suddenly nearing her and kissing her.

Using even his tongue, it was an experience Arisa never feels before.

*PFAAH!?*

Then,

after satisfied,

he finally released her.

“HEY MAN, WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA STEALING THE MARCH?”

“It's fine right? We already paid a lot for this anyway, let’s enjoy it a little, don't you agree Arisa chan?”

Arisa still feels dizzy and did not heard the man completely.

Huh?

What?

What?

What is this?

“OOH! SHE HAD SUCH A GOOD BODY FOR A MIDDLE SCHOOLER!”

“IT’S A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT RIGHT?”

!?

Realizing her towel is opened because of surprise, Arisa started to closed her towel. And regain a bit of her consciousness.

“Then, let me be the first!”

“AAH! YOU! TRYING TO STEAL A MARCH AGAIN!”

!!

He was getting close again...

His breath, his face, his mouth…

It feel repulsive beyond words.

Scary...

what is this!?

I’m scared…

I’m scared..I’m scared..I’m scared..I’m scared..I’m scared..I’m scared..I’m scared..!

While he began removing his pants,

the man is touching her shoulder.

He was trying to grab her towel.

…!

NO!

Unconsciously,

Arisa grab the flower vase beside her.

And,

Smashing it into the head of the man that approach her.

*PRANG*

“HUH!?”

“!”

The other are surprised.

The man that approach her is fallen unconscious with a big amount of blood flooding his head.

“H..HEY, WHAT’S THE BIG..”

Regained their composure, they finally start to look panicked.

But,

for Arisa,

it was more of a bigger shock.

Noo..! No more..! No, no…

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

She begins to get hysterical and crying.

The remaining man is surprised and standing back for a moment.

Then,

starting to running away, Arisa slipped past them.

“AH!”

Ignoring their surprise, she runs away.

She heard some scream calling her from behind, but she ignored it.

Trying to escape as far as she can from this place, Arisa running away.

…

When she had returned home, her parent ask her a lot of question.

Surprised with her appearance, there's no way her parent won't suspect something is happened.

Her parent is outraged hearing her story and report it to the police.

The three girls that get involved is getting kicked out from school.

It looks like the injured man is survived too but he had become disabled and deemed cannot live normally anymore.

The police consider it as a self defence, and she was a minor so Arisa did not receive any punishment.

Like this,

the case is supposed to considered over.

But the news cannot be hidden in such a small town.

With various rumors going on, Arisa is kicked from her school.

The headmaster said it was for her good that she change school, but it was obvious it because they didn't want any trouble.

Her father is angry, but Arisa herself is fine with quitting the school so they accept her wish.

After that, she start to become depressed in contrast of her usual cheerful self.

Begin to not wanting to coming out or changing into another school she start to seclude inside her room.

Inside her room, Arisa only live aimlessly without wanting any contact with other people.

But she still cannot let go of the incident inside her heart.

Why...

All i want is to experience things like a normal schoolgirls do.

Instead of getting treated as someone special, she wanted to be seen as a normal girl.

Instead of getting praised and having a stiff relation, she wants to talk about every normal girls thing like love, going out together, and comparing score from the test.

But,

She didn't know.

She didn't know that girls jealousy can be this scary.

She didn't know that a man can be this scary.

She didn't know that such a hostility exist.

She didn't know that human can be this “evil”

Confused at what should she do, and getting scared with people outside she was staying shut in for her remaining middle school life.

Her parent is calling a trauma therapist to her and made her learn school material from a private tutor.

They didn't want their daughter to get scared all the time after all.

After some time passes, her condition is getting better.

While her dad is received a offer to move his job to tokyo, they moved there.

Thinking it was a good chance anyway to start over in another town where there's no one knows her, her dad is accepting the job.

When she become a high schooler and moving into another school, her personality is already mostly returned to before.

She looked more cheerful. And her more matured figure attract more boys than before.

She always refuse a request to become their boyfriend though.

One of them is trying to take a chance and asked if they can start as a friend instead.

But she didn't respond from that one.

Instead,

her condition is getting weird instead.

Her body is trembling, and she was starting to cry.

The boy is getting surprised, and ask her to forget about it while apologizing.

Making a weak smile, she insist that she was alright.

Like this,

even if her body is healed.

Her mental ‘scar’ still remains.