Dakara, Anata o Koko de Koroshimasu - Chapter 18.2

‘Freil’, a small rural village located in the southern part of the Elmerado Militant Nation.

Although the Elmerado Militant Nation was modernized by steam engines, and the economy was enriched, the village was surrounded by forests, and the main source of income for the villagers was agriculture. An unusually poor village.

Celestia Valentine was born in this small village.

※※※※

When Serra was five years old, the Westblood family moved to Freil.

In particular, the Valentine family was a neighbor, so Serra and Alice quickly became close.

Serra still vividly remembers the first conversation with her.

“I’m Celestia. I’m Celestia Valentine. Nice to meet you.

Then the little Serra asked Alice to shake hands.

Alice clasped her hands with delight, but soon a puzzled look came over her.

“… um, what’s wrong?”

“Long”

Alice replied just one word.

“Your name is too long for me,”

“eh…………”

At Alice’s words, Serra’s face went pale with shock.

Serra and Alice’s parents, who watched the exchange, laughed, but she was so depressed that she didn’t notice.

“That’s …. I’ll say it again, Celestia!”

“Ceres, teer…. erm, it’s long after all.”

“Eh…”

It seems that Serra can’t accept the fact that her name is unpopular, as it is the name she had been called by.

Alice couldn’t help it, and then, after groaning for a while, she suddenly smiled like something flashed into her mind.

“That’s right. A nickname! Let’s give you a nickname!”

“Ah, that’s a good idea.”

Serra also smiled at Alice’s proposal, and became enthusiastic.

“Then, what about Celes?”

“Yeah, I don’t like it.”

“You don’t… and what about Tia?”

“Sounds like ‘tear’…. I don’t think so.”

‘Unh’ said Alice, holding her head while shaking it.

“Lesse”

“No good.”

“Selle”

“No way”

“Come on”

Alice got frustrated and stepped at Serra, who doesn’t accept them at all.

After that, putting her palms together, she asked Serra whether she had come up with something satisfactory.

“Then, what about Serra?”

“……! That! That one!”

Serra nods happily to Alice’s proposal.

“Then, start over. My name is Celestia Valentine. Call me Serra!”

“I’m Alice. Alice Westblood. Alice is fine, nice to meet you!”

Again, the two girls shake hands.

This event was an encounter with Alice, who became a childhood friend, and the origin of Serra’s nickname.

※※※※

“I like you.”

When Serra was 12 years old.

In the woods, where she and Alice always played together, Serra was suddenly confessed to.

“Well………. What do you mean?”

After hearing Alice’s words, her thoughts stopped, and after a few seconds, Serra understood the situation, blushed and trembled.

Alice, who blushed harder than Serra, looked away from Serra and answered through her fingers.

“That’s… As a girl? It doesn’t mean anything weird, but I mean…”

“Huh, what, uh huh. yes? Eeeeeerr!?”

Serra, who doesn’t really know if she understands the meaning or not, raised her voice.

“Um… I’m really happy. I’m a girl, so uh, um.”

“I know what I said! But that’s…. I turned the same feeling that a girl would have for a boy towards Serra…. So, if you’re okay with me, please!”

“~~~~!!”

The two blushed and trembled, but communicated their feelings to each other.

However, it was Serra who broke first.

“………… Yes, it’s ok.”

“For real!?”

“It’s okay…. Well, girls are a little different, and I don’t know what to do, but… I think I’ll be able to make it work with Alice.”

“…………Serra!”

“Eek!?”

Alice jumped at Serra, and they both fell down.

After that, they tickled each other as usual, and laughed together.

Alice calmly stares at Serra’s eyes.

“…… What’s wrong?”

“No, thank you so much.”

“You don’t have to worry about it. I think it’s okay to treat me as usual. It’s just a special relationship.”

“…… Well, I can’t coolly say that sort of thing. But I like that part of you.”

“Alice is kind, too.”

“Nihihi, I don’t know. I may be bad, right?”

“Well, if Alice becomes a bad girl, I’ll have to punish her.”

Serra and Alice laugh as they joke with each other.

Suddenly, Alice looked at her seriously, and put her face up to Serra, holding her hand.

“—I love you.”

“Yes. Me too.”

To Alice who talked shyly.

Serra also answered seriously while blushing.

There was no one around. Illuminated by sunbeams, they felt the illusion of being alone in the world.

And, for a while, they kept gazing at each other lovingly.

―――― I wish this would last forever.

Yes, Serra kept thinking about it.

※※※※

When Serra was fourteen, things suddenly changed.

As usual, she was coming home from the errands her parents asked her to do.

The time is 7 p.m. For some reason, the lights in the house were not on though it was completely dark.

And the smell of fresh meat spread out in the room.

Though wondering, Serra turned on the light and looked directly at the scene in front of her.

All over the place, red-black liquid was scattered. At her feet lay a creepy dark, pink-tinted object,

At the end of the object, the upper body and the lower body separated, there was the figure of her fallen father.

“Uaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!????”

Serra, who couldn’t stand the terrible tragedy, screamed and ran away from the room in a frenzy.

Feelings and thoughts were all jumbled up, and as she ran frantically down the hall, she stumbled on something, and fell down.

What did she run into? Reflexively, Serra looked back.

Her mother was collapsed on the floor. Unlike her father, she seemed fine except for the bloody spot.

…… However, the part which corresponded with the face was missing as if it had exploded, leaving a pulpy lump of flesh.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!”

This time, Serra completely abandoned her thoughts and ran away.

Unable to hold back the feeling of vomiting that had crept up on the way, she went out while spewing vomit many times, headed for Alice’s house next door.

She doesn’t know why she ran there.

Maybe she wanted to warn her to run away because the culprit might still be nearby, or she just wanted a sense of security by snuggling up to her girlfriend.

Anyway, she wanted to see Alice now.

By chance, Alice stood there when she entered the living room of her house.

She turned around in surprise at the sound of opening the door with great force.

―――― I’m glad. Alice is still alive.

Serra embraced Alice, as her eyes grew dim with tears of relief.

“Hey, Serra!? What’s wrong?”

“My mom, my dad, they were killed! There was a lot of blood and innards, and it was out, and they’re dead!”

“Serra, wait! Let’s calm down.”

While talking, she recalled the scene she just witnessed, and Serra’s breathing became intense.

After seeing the situation, Alice rubbed Serra’s back and tried to calm her down.

“It was a cruel murder, wasn’t it? Yes, you don’t have to remember anymore. Calm down.”

“Alice…”

Her kind words filled Serra with tears again, and she hugged her even harder.

Alice also hugged Serra and laughed cheerfully.

“…… Alice?”

“That’s right. Serra’s parents are dead. That’s great.“

“……? What are you talking about?”

Unable to understand Alice’s words, Serra tilted her head and asked.

Wiping away Serra’s tears so she would regain her sight, she smiled.

“It’s about kind-hearted Serra. Serra’s family is very important to her.”

“…… That’s right. You’re asking about what is obvious?”

Why is she asking such a question now?

Why is she smiling after hearing that her lover’s family is dead?

―――― I do not understand.

She had no idea about Alice.

“Yes. For Serra, her family is more important than me. That’s why I broke it.“

“………… What?”

Alice couldn’t understand the words either. No, she gave up understanding.

“Serra has nothing more important than me. It shouldn’t exist. And there’s nothing more important to Serra.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“So, I’m saying I killed Serra’s parents.”

“What?”

At Alice’s words, Serra became speechless.

Had her childhood friend and lover, been in this state of madness all this time.

Serra is puzzled, terrified, and angry at the sight of her childhood friend for the first-time.

…… It was the first emotion Serra’s ever had.

“…… Don’t.”

“Huh? What?”

“Don’t play around!”

Serra’s emotions exploded, she pushed Alice down, got on top and was strangling her.

Serra had a murderous urge for the first time in her life.

For the first time, the kind-hearted Serra hated someone.

“It’s your fault! Why!? I loved you, but why?! Don’t play around with me, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you!”

“Gah…Se,Ra…Stop, no —”

She put strength in her arms to block Alice’s airways.

Alice seemed to be terrified that her Dearest LoverSerra turned such killing intent towards her.

―――― utterly selfish.

“Ah, it hurts… keho, I’ll, die.”

“Shut up, shut up. I will never forgive you. Die, die now!”

She’s sure her father had it much harder than she is now. Her mother must have suffered much more than she is now.

This level of suffering is not enough to punish her. Death must be rewarded for death.

―――― Serra didn’t realize that the same madness as Alice dwelled in her eyes which reflected murderous intentions.

…… Alice, on the other hand, was unconsciously reaching for Serra’s right hand.

Fear of death. It was only natural that she would take defensive action to escape the pain that stimulated her instincts.

Bang

From Serra’s right arm to her chest completely burst open.

Literally, the body erupted from inside Serra as if it had exploded.

Obviously, Serra’s consciousness instantly became hazy due to bleeding that exceeded the lethal dose and pain that exceeded the allowable threshold, and she collapsed.

―――― Ahh.

“Gaha…… Hah………… Hah…………Serra!?”

Released from pressure and pain, Alice quickly ran up to Serra.

Already, Serra was losing consciousness and her body was gradually getting colder.

“Oh, uh…no, no, no! Serra, Serra!!”

Alice frantically called for Serra, but it was clear that no one could save her.

In Serra’s mind, whose vision and hearing were lost, and she was unable to even think.

(―― this, loss ―― ――)

It was a potent murderous impulse.

※※※※

“Yoo-hoo. Are you awake?”

The voice clearly could be heard through the ears should have been unable to hear.

To be aware means your consciousness is clear.

『Who are you?』

She can’t move her mouth. She was just thinking.

However, the girlish person was able to be read and understand, so they answered Serra’s question.

“I’m Sakura. The god of this world ☆”

The girl with an aloof attitude – calls herself Sakura.

“On to the main topic then, but you, this will be vexing, the woman called Alice did you in.”

『…………』

“If you leave her be, she’ll only hurt more people.”

『Eh?』

Sakura’s words gave Serra urgency.

Yes. She said she would destroy everything she loved. She may continue to kill people at random.

―――― I have to kill her.

So the decision was made quickly.

『Somehow, can I manage it, I wonder?』

“Yes?”

『God, is it? If that’s the case, then you should be able to heal me!?』

Sakura heard those words.

Though she couldn’t consciously see the scene in front of her.

It felt like she was laughing.

“Fufufu ☆ in that case, the contract is established,”

And.

The ‘killer’ was born.