I Picked up a Corrupted Heroine (The Secret Boss), and When I Spoiled Her, She Became Uncontrollably Affectionate With Me

Chapter 21: The Saint of the Moon Gets Serious

I didn’t hesitate and hugged Alicia tight.

Her body felt soft and warm.

“Fweh…?”

A weak sound slipped out of Alicia in my arms.

“Eh… No way. You actually… you really did it…”

“To me, you’re someone important, Alicia. Different from other people.”

Alicia already hates me anyway. There was no point in holding back anymore.

So if the moment came, I was ready to tell her how I really feel.

“……No way. That has to be a lie…! You’re just forcing yourself to hug me, right?”

Alicia looked clearly shaken.

“It’s not a lie. I’m not forcing myself at all. Nobody hates hugging someone important to them, right?”

“……I-It’s not a lie? No way…”

Alicia looked down for a while, then spoke again.

“Then tell me why I’m important to you. We just met. If I’m important, there has to be some special reason, right?”

“……T-That’s…”

This was my second chance to confess.

Unlike the first time… I wasn’t going to hold back now. I took a deep breath and got ready—

“I—”

Right then, everything around us suddenly got dark.

I stopped talking and looked up without thinking.

There was Leviathan’s tail coming down from above, about to smash us.

“Crap…!”

I let my guard down completely.

I grabbed Alicia’s hand and tried to dodge, but the tail’s attack range was too wide. It was probably too late to avoid it now.

Even if we dodged, the tail would wreck half the port.

There was only one thing I could do.

“Cut it.”

I reached my hand into empty air and whispered.

“Item Box.”

A black hole opened in the air. What came out was a single jet-black sword.

The sword had no decorations at all. It was completely black. Even so… an evil aura came from the blade that made me hesitate to even hold it.

This was the third time I was protecting someone. The first time I couldn’t save anyone. The second time I couldn’t protect Ria. This third time… I absolutely have to protect the most important person.

I made up my mind, grabbed the handle, and got into position. Then I jumped high toward the tail—

“Haa!”

—and sliced the tail clean in two.

The sword cut through the hard scales and bones like they were tofu.

Finally I kicked the severed tail away… and it sank into the sea.

“Uh oh…”

Now I was the one falling toward the ground. I tried to land properly, but my body wouldn’t listen and I couldn’t move right.

I fell straight onto my back—

“—Asta!?”

I didn’t hit the ground. Alicia caught my body gently in her arms.

“A-Alicia. Thanks.”

“No problem. More importantly… are you okay, Asta?”

Alicia looked me over with worry… then her eyes went to the sword.

“That sword is clearly a cursed weapon…!”

“Yeah, it is. But… it just drains a bit of stamina and mental strength.”

“…That doesn’t look like just ‘a bit’ to me.”

Alicia stared at me as my arms hung limply.

“…You did it to protect me?”

“…Maybe.”

“I don’t get it at all. If you were just worried I’d turn into a witch, you didn’t have to go this far. …Wouldn’t it have been easier to just kill me?”

“Wha… No way I’d ever do that. I don’t want you to die, Alicia. You’re important to me.”

“That’s why I’m asking why I’m—”

“GYAOOOO!!!”

Right then Leviathan let out a fierce roar.

It was probably in pain after losing its tail. While I was thinking that… Leviathan suddenly ignored the hero and glared hard at us.

Don’t tell me—

“…Are we being targeted?”

“Looks like it. That snake has been getting in the way at all the important moments… Maybe I should just finish it myself…”

“Alicia?”

For some reason Alicia clenched her fists tight and glared back at Leviathan with pure resentment.

“No, never mind. More importantly, this is trouble. What should we do…”

“Yeah…”