Chapter 513 Even a Hoodlum Can Be a Hero

“Cough... cough... Let me explain this.” Firuvin said after a fit of coughing.

“Lord Firuvin——”

Arthur suddenly cut him off.

“I should be the one to explain, as the person involved.”

Firuvin glanced at him

and nodded.

“Very well.”

“To put it simply, Alice is like this because of my ability.”

Hum......

A soft white light radiated from Arthur’s palm.

“This is the power I awakened when I became a Hero——Conversion, an ability that can twist the very nature of power......”

As Arthur explained, Hulim Heyerar and the others gradually understood the whole story, and learned what had happened to Arthur and Alice back then.

When a Hero first awakens, the full power of their Holy Weapon erupts, briefly pushing them to their peak.

At that moment, Arthur, consumed by rage, unleashed a full-force strike at the Demon possessing Alice’s body.

But the moment the attack left his hand, overwhelming regret flooded his heart.

If he destroyed the Demon like this, Alice’s body would be lost as well——and then... even if a way to save her existed in the world, it would be useless.

That desperate wish caused Arthur’s ability to awaken fully on the spot.

His attack warped; the power meant only to destroy enemies transformed into a special force that completely reversed the target’s essence.

Faced with this overwhelming power far beyond its own, Sethis—the Demon possessing Alice—had everything about it forcibly converted into Alice’s being. Their positions were entirely reversed.

Alice’s will, which had been completely dormant, awoke, while the Demon’s will was reduced to a feeble shadow. In the end, it took Alice’s original fate and perished.

Alice inherited all of the Demon’s power.

Perhaps because the conversion involved power from two entirely different cosmic systems, however, the process was imperfect.

A great deal of power was lost during the shift, and the energy that should have been fully converted to this world’s power remained in a state between the two.

In short:

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The Alice before them was indeed the real Alice——but she was now simultaneously a resident of the World of Himril and a Demon. Her life-rank had risen to S-Rank, but the massive power loss left her far from strong as an S-Rank combatant......

“......”

A heavy silence hung at the entrance of Windrock City Temple.

“Wait just a second——this is absurd, even for me!”

Laki Kadar shouted in disbelief.

“How can something like this be possible?! Holy Sword Hero, what in the world is this Conversion ability of yours?! How can it rewrite someone’s entire race?!”

Arthur flushed with embarrassment.

“W-Well, I’m sorry. I still don’t fully understand how my ability works myself......”

“Laki, Arthur’s ability isn’t as outrageous as you make it sound,”

Firuvin interjected.

“We tested it on low-rank Demons, cough......

The conclusion: it cannot alter their race. Alice’s case succeeded only because she was already in a unique state of symbiosis with the Demon. It’s an exception, nothing more.”

“Hmm, that makes sense...... Still, isn’t this a good thing? It’s complicated, but an extra S-Rank on our side can only help.”

“Hey, half-Demon girl——”

“H-Half-Demon?” Alice stammered, flustered. “M-Miss? Are you talking about me?”

“Haha, you called me ‘miss’ Let me introduce myself: I’m Laki Kadar, Miko’s grandmother. I call you that because it fits—and doesn’t it sound cool?”

“Um...... I-I......” Alice was at a loss for words.

“Wait a second——”

Miko suddenly shouted.

“Hm? Did I say something wrong?”

“Granny Laki isn’t just a grandmother——you’re Grandmother’s grandmother!”

“......”

Everyone fell silent.

That’s the part you take issue with......

“Lord Firuvin.”

Hulim broke the awkward atmosphere.

“Since Arthur, the Holy Sword Hero, is here, where is the final Hero——the Spear Hero? I don’t see him.”

“You mean that one......”

Firuvin’s expression turned strange,

almost pained.

“That person is actually someone you know, Hulim——”

“Hey! Where is everyone?! I was told the other Heroes would be here today! Where are they?! Why can’t your’s truly, the Holy Spear Hero, see anyone?!”

A loud, brash voice echoed from outside.

“Wait...... that voice?”

Hulim spun around in shock.

It couldn’t be——the Holy Spear Hero——

“Oh! There you are! You’re all inside——wait......”

It was actually......

“Oh! It’s Hulim!!”

“How could you be a Hero, you hoodlum!?”

Two voices rang out at the same time.

“Hah?! Wh-Whaaaat?! What did you just say!?”

Russell bristled with rage.

“Hey! Who are you calling a hoodlum?!”

“RUS——SELL——!”

Thwack——!!!

A sharp, hard strike landed squarely on Russell’s head.

“This is humiliating! Can you not act like a Hero for even a moment?! You’re disgracing every Hero in existence!”

Eileen’s furious shout rang through the courtyard.

Two seconds later, she realized what she’d done,

her face flushing bright red.

She grabbed Russell and apologized frantically.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! We’ve made a terrible scene!”

Russell stared, a huge lump on his head, dizzied by Eileen’s shaking.

Who am I? Where am I? What was I doing?

“Eileen, long time no see.”

Hulim stepped forward.

“Hulim!”

Eileen brightened, reaching out her left hand to clasp Hulim’s right.

“It’s been so long~!”

“Lucien, Frots, long time no see.”

“Long time no see~.” Lucien replied with a smile.

Frots nodded silently.

“Long time no see......”

“Hey——!”

Russell lifted his head, his neck held down by a single hand.

“Hulim, you can’t keep favoring them like this! I’m a Hero, y’know——”

“Lord Firuvin, we’ve delayed long enough outside. We should head in now.”

“......Very well.”

Firuvin nodded and turned to walk into the temple.

“All of you, follow me.”

“Eileen, let’s go.”

“Okay~.”

Eileen finally let go of Russell and walked into the temple with Hulim.

“?!??! Hey! Hey?! HEY?!?”

Russell stared dumbfounded as they walked away.

“I’m a Hero, I’m a freaking......”

Pat. Pat.

Frots clapped him silently on the shoulder.

“If you don’t hurry, you’ll be left behind again.”

With that, Frots walked past him, catching up to Lucien ahead.

“Guh...... I-I-I...... I’M A HERO, DAMN IT——!!!”