Rivira, outskirts of town – beside a quiet lake in the woods
What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?!
I've been found out!
Miko's entire body stiffened, her foot frozen mid-step. What would happen if she was caught? Would this beautiful girl turn into an old witch? Or grow eight heads?
Her mind went completely blank she'd never faced anything like this before. If she had a choice, she'd never have approached that graveyard. Her heart thumped violently...
"Didn't they say ghosts don't exist here? That everyone returns to heaven peacefully, purifies themselves, and reincarnates? So what's going on?!"
The woman watched Miko stop in place, closed her eyes, and smiled faintly:
"I thought I'd never have anyone to talk to again. The mortal realm really is full of surprises even children like you exist."
"Y-yes..."
Miko set her foot down, slowly turning to face the floating spirit. Her neck was stiff as she forced out the words stubbornly:
"I... I can see you so what?!"
She drew a dagger, striking a pose like a comic book character:
"Before my eyes, anything that lives even a god I'll slay it right here!"
She suddenly remembered this place was like a "game," and she herself had spiritual abilities. We're all basically ghosts who's afraid of whom?!
The woman's spirit descended to stand beside Miko, extending her hand slowly: "Don't be afraid I won't hurt you."
Miko stared intently as the hand approached, then passed right through her body...
"N-nothing happened?"
"I can't touch you there's a divide between the living and the dead. Honestly, I'm surprised you can even see me."
The woman turned and walked to the grave, speaking calmly:
"Would you be willing to listen to a 'spirit' vent a little? Even if it's just 'noise' to you."
Watching the woman's retreating figure, Miko's racing heart gradually calmed. At least... at least she wasn't some monster with eight legs and ten faces...
Miko stepped forward slowly, standing beside the woman as she looked down at the mound and asked: "Are you the one buried here?"
"No."
"Then why are you here?"
A hint of helplessness crossed the woman's eyes as she spoke with disappointment:
"Because I couldn't accept what happened. If I had to put it simply... the owners of these weapons buried here are the ones who killed me."
"Ah?!"
Miko was stunned speechless.
"Hmph it's nothing much, just some embarrassing memories. Looking back now, they're all just 'noise.'" The woman paused, a faint smile touching her lips.
"Have you heard the name Alfia?"
Miko shook her head.
"I see. The name 'Silence' is just history now. Since I became 'Absolute Evil' a stepping stone I don't even deserve to leave a name behind."
Alfia looked up at the dungeon ceiling, muttering to herself:
"I envy Zald a little. At least someone in this world still remembers him."
Seeing the former hero's loneliness, Miko spoke up first:
"Can you tell me your story?"
"If you don't find it bothersome, I don't mind."
Hands behind her back, Alfia began to recount her life from being bedridden with illness to becoming a prodigy, from a novice adventurer to participating in two major world quests.
Finally, she spoke of how she'd chosen to become "absolute evil" for the sake of the world, bringing the labyrinth city an unprecedented "Seven Days of Death."
This was the tale of a hero who'd fought in three great quests, then joined the dark faction in an attempt to destroy Orario and release all sealed underground monsters.
As she finished, the magic stone lamps across the maze ceiling dimmed one by one, shifting into "night" mode.
Alfia let out a long sigh:
"Coming from me, all this probably sounds like I'm making excuses. But there's no denying it I'm not a 'hero.' I'm 'absolute evil' who brought death to countless people."
"I don't know how to judge you," Miko said firmly, "but I'm sure Miss Alfia isn't a bad person."
"Hmm."
Alfia touched one of the weapons stuck in the mound, speaking calmly:
"In terms of consequences, I did do wrong."
"The only survivor... four years have passed, and she hasn't grown at all."
"Now I have to admit – unlike Zald, who built the strongest city, I didn't even manage to be a proper 'stepping stone.' I just became absolute evil, causing countless deaths."
"That's why I wont leave this place... and return to heaven."
"Haha..." Miko scratched her cheek awkwardly, at a loss for words.
From Alfia's story, she learned that the people Alfia was talking about were the former Astraea Familia but an accident had buried all those girls in the dungeon, rendering Alfia's efforts meaningless.
It turned out that those who'd faced despair and cried out fearlessly were the ones who'd fallen the fastest. That was both the mark of a hero and their unavoidable fate.
Alfia seemed to notice Miko's reaction, saying meaningfully:
"Speaking of which, little girl you're from the Astraea Familia too, aren't you? Sorry if what I said was just 'noise' to you."
"I... I'm okay."
Miko didn't know how to act around this deceased woman. Alfia had seemed cold and queenly at first, but perhaps from years of not talking to anyone, she'd become a bit long-winded.
Is it because she's been gone so long?
Miko left the graveyard to pick fresh white flowers nearby, replacing the withered ones before clasping her hands in prayer:
"May you rest in peace and find enlightenment. Now the Astraea Familia has new blood, new hope everyone has incredible 'traits.' They'll definitely become powerful 'heroes' worthy of their predecessors."
"And you too, Miss Alfia I firmly believe heroes will be born again in the future."
Alfia closed her eyes and said nothing.
When Miko finished and looked up, her expression froze.
"Your face looks like you're asking... 'Why haven't you found peace yet?'"
"So why?!" Miko asked helplessly.
Wasn't her obsession just disappointment with the Astraea Familia? Now that the familia was thriving again, shouldn't she be able to rest?
Looking at Miko's complicated expression, Alfia said coldly: "Don't be foolish. I won't return to heaven until I see the Black Dragon slain with my own eyes."
Alfia was disappointed, yes but not by the fall of Astraea. Her deepest grievance was with the world itself, this "Age of Gods" ruled by deities.
In the battle against the Black Dragon, the so-called strongest hero and the most arrogant empress had both lost limbs, coughed up blood, screamed in agony, and ultimately fled in defeat.
This filled Alfia with profound "disappointment" in herself, and in a world that lacked the resolve to see things through.
Only then did she, as the "stepping stone" known as the Hero's Egg, begin searching for a fearless hero to end the "Dark End." If none could be found, she'd let the Age of Gods end and return the world to ancient times, allowing new heroes to be born.
But in the end, everything had fallen short.
Unaware of all this, Miko still blurted out:
"If you're a normal soul, then go back already! Everyone else has returned to heaven why are you the 'exception'?!"
Alfia was silent for a moment before replying with a hint of relief:
"Perhaps... I am the exception."
After all, she'd been an exception since birth.
Alfia recalled her past her incredible talent, the fastest leveling speed in history, the only genius to break past S999 and reach four-digit stats.
And finally...
As her body burned in magma hell and her soul was called to heaven, she'd seen through the nature of that power and rejected it outright. Once again, she'd become the world's only exception.
She was like a bug in the system, constantly interfering with normal operations. That was why she'd been "trapped" here for four years.
Surprisingly, Alfia's soul could only attach to members of the Astraea Familia like a bound spirit.
Originally, this wasn't such a bad thing. Watching the Hero's Egg which had stepped over her corpse gradually hatch would have been a decent way to pass the time.
But...
Who could have imagined how incompetent they'd be? Wiped out by a single monster! Where had the spirit gone that once drove a group of Level 3s to face Level 7 foes?
What? You blame yourselves for letting the sea monster escape? Ugh all just noise.
"[Dead Eye] Miko? Are you there?!"
Night had fallen deep, and calls from the black cat and Dekomori echoed from the distant woods. They'd long since passed the meeting time, and Miko still hadn't returned.
"I have to go." Miko looked at the spirit she'd spent so long talking to and asked: "What will you do now?"
Alfia's gaze settled on her.
Miko's expression turned wary: "Don't tell me... you're going to follow me?"
"So what if I am?" Alfia paused thoughtfully. "Even if you guessed it, nothing would change. Rejected by heaven no, having rejected heaven I have no other options."
"Now, you're the only person I can communicate with."
"And..."
The world is crying out for "heroes."
"Didn't you say the Astraea Familia has new blood? Let me see these seeds that will become 'heroes.'"
"Perhaps... being a 'guide' after death wouldn't be so bad."