Chapter 400 - Sinner
(1)
"Ah, Toya-san. Good morning."
Airi greeted me with a smile as she set the breakfast on the table.
"Good morning, Airi. ...Ah, is it already this time?"
"Yes. You looked tired, Toya-san, so I thought I would let you sleep a bit longer."
"I wish I had been woken up at the same time as Airi!"
"Fufu, but I am glad you were able to sleep well."
"But I wanted to greet the same morning as Airi."
"Toya-san..."
Airi's cheeks flushed red, and she cast her eyes downward.
"Besides, she has a boyfriend, so there's nothing to worry about."
"Is that so? But..."
"I only have Airi in my eyes."
"Yes... I love you, Toya-san."
We embraced each other and spent a warm time.
(2)
The next day, I went to work.
At the office, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.
Sakamoto-san and Iizuka-san were still giving Erika-san the cold shoulder.
However, Erika-san did not seem to care at all, silently continuing her work.
I observed her movements.
Her posture was perfectly straight, and there was no wasted motion in her hands.
It was a movement that could only be achieved through rigorous training.
Like a high-ranking knight, or perhaps... an assassin.
"Hey, Toya."
Koriyama-senpai called out to me.
"Ah, Koriyama-senpai. Good morning."
"Good morning. By the way, where is the president?"
"He is out visiting a client right now," I replied.
"I see. Well, about that previous incident..."
Koriyama-senpai began to explain.
"At that time, the president came out and managed to settle it somehow, but..."
He sighed, looking troubled.
"It seems the other party is still not satisfied."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. We might have to deal with them again."
(3)
During the lunch break, I decided to go out to buy some lunch.
As I walked down the street, I felt a strange sensation.
Someone was following me.
The presence was faint, but to me, who had survived countless battles in another world, it was clear as day.
I purposely turned into a quiet alleyway with few people.
I stopped and turned around.
"You can come out now."
From the shadow of the building, a figure appeared.
It was Erika-san.
She looked at me with sharp, cold eyes.
"Why are you following me?"
I asked, keeping my guard up.
Erika-san did not answer immediately. She only stared at me.
"...You noticed me."
Her voice was low and devoid of emotion.
"Of course. You weren't exactly hiding your presence very well."
"No, I was hiding it perfectly. An ordinary person would never have noticed."
She took a step closer.
"Who are you?"
I asked again.
(4)
Erika-san's eyes narrowed.
"A sinner."
"A sinner?"
"Yes. A sinner who committed a grave crime and was banished."
She spoke in a detached tone, as if talking about someone else.
"I have been searching for you."
"Searching for me? Why?"
"Because you possess a power that does not belong to this world."
My heart skipped a beat.
Did she know about my past as a hero?
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, trying to play dumb.
"Do not lie. I can feel the residual magical energy on you. It is the same as the hero who saved our world."
So she really was from the other world.
"And what does a sinner from another world want with me?"
"I want to ask you to kill me."
(5)
I was taken aback by her sudden request.
"Kill you? Why would I do that?"
"Because I cannot die by my own hand. It is the curse of the sinner."
She pulled back her sleeve, revealing a black, brand-like mark on her wrist.
"As long as this mark exists, I am bound to live in agony. Only a hero's holy power can erase this curse and grant me death."
I looked at the mark. It indeed radiated a dark, cursed magical energy.
"I refuse to kill you," I said firmly.
"Why? It should be easy for you."
"I am no longer a hero. I am just an ordinary office worker now. I have no intention of taking lives anymore."
Erika-san stared at me for a long moment, then slowly lowered her sleeve.
"I see... But I will not give up."
With those words, she turned around and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
I stood there alone in the alley, sighing deeply.
"What a troublesome thing to get dragged into..."
I muttered to myself, before heading back to the office.