"…Fire hero, Lisa Curry?"
I turned toward the girl who had suddenly appeared, my eyes widening in surprise.
Despite calling her a girl, her tall stature and suntanned skin could have easily led someone to mistake her for a man. Yet, there was no doubt she was a woman—her open neckline left no room for ambiguity.
"Lisa?!" Rosy exclaimed, her voice a mixture of shock and unease.
"Serves you right, Rosy Thompson," Lisa replied sharply, stepping closer with an air of hostility that made her intent clear.
Her movements were heavy, almost aggressive, as if daring Rosy to retaliate.
"Cornered by something as weak as a Pythonfly," Lisa sneered. "What kind of hero are you? If I hadn't shown up, who knows what would've happened?"
Rosy lowered her gaze, her voice subdued. "…Yeah, thanks, Lisa."
The confident, self-assured Rosy I had seen earlier seemed to have disappeared. In front of Lisa, she looked small, almost fragile.
Meanwhile, I judged that the danger had passed. The monsters were gone, and I turned back to helping the elderly woman and her grandchild, who were still trembling from the ordeal.
"R-Right, Jack!" Rosy called out suddenly. "I'll introduce you!"
I glanced back as Rosy gestured toward Lisa. "This is Lisa Curry, the fire hero," she said, though her tone lacked its usual cheer.
"Huh?" I said, confused.
"Wait, I thought you were the hero, Rosy. Are there… multiple heroes?"
Rosy nodded. "I'm the light hero. Jack, you've heard of the five Gods of Creation, right?"
"Yes, of course," I replied, though my memory of them came with a surge of irritation. My past life had left me with more than a few grudges against those seraphims.
"In this world, there are churches dedicated to each of the five gods," Rosy began. "I represent the Light Church, which follows the Light Goddess, Theia."
"Alright…" I said, trying to follow.
"There's also the Fire Church that follows the Fire God, Vulcan; the Water Church for Suijin; the Wind Church for Amihan; and the Earth Church for Gaia. Each church has its own hero. Lisa was chosen as the fire hero for Nova's church."
"So there are five heroes in total?" I asked, piecing it together.
Rosy began to answer, but Lisa cut her off sharply. "Don't kid yourself."
Her words silenced Rosy.
"There's only one real hero," Lisa declared, her voice filled with scorn. "The rest of you are nothing but frauds. And that hero is me. After all, I'm the strongest. Unlike a so-called hero who barely thinned out a monster swarm before almost getting overwhelmed herself."
Rosy flinched, her voice faltering. "Ah…"
Lisa didn't stop. "What a pathetic excuse for a hero. Compared to my 'Flame Burst,' which annihilated them in one shot, your weak little attacks are laughable. This just proves that the Fire God, Nova, is superior to your precious Light Goddess."
"I don't think that's true," I said, my voice cutting through the tension.
Lisa's gaze snapped to me, her eyes blazing with fury. "What did you just say?!"
Her glare was intense, but I didn't back down.
"Rosy's 'Holy Light Blade' is a precise technique that channels divine power into a concentrated wave. It's not designed for large-scale destruction but for focused attacks. Your 'Flame Burst,' on the other hand, is a wide-area attack that spreads quickly—perfect for clearing groups of enemies. It's not about being stronger; it's about the element and the situation. The fire element just happened to be favorable this time."
"You arrogant little—!" Lisa began, her voice rising with anger.
I continued calmly. "And no matter how much you belittle others, one thing is indisputable."
Lisa froze, her expression darkening. "What?"
"The fact that Rosy was the first to arrive on the scene."
Lisa's mouth tightened, and for a moment, she had no response.
"If you're here, it means you came quickly after hearing the report about the monsters. But even so, Rosy arrived first. She saved this elderly woman and her grandchild before you even got here. That's her achievement, not yours."
The old woman and her grandchild, now calmer, approached Rosy to thank her. Rosy offered them a gentle smile, though I could see the weight of Lisa's words lingering on her face.
"And let's not forget," I continued, "you were able to wipe out the monsters in one move because Rosy's attacks had already gathered them into one place. If they had been scattered, even your fire might not have been enough to finish them all at once. It could've been a drawn-out battle, and you'd have to worry about causing a forest fire."
"That's ridiculous!" Lisa snapped, though her voice wavered.
"Reality isn't ridiculous," I countered. "This wasn't your victory alone. It was a team effort. Rosy lured the monsters; you finished them. Together, you succeeded. That's teamwork."
"Teamwork?" Lisa repeated, her voice dripping with disdain.
I ignored her sarcasm. Grabbing her wrist with one hand and Rosy's with the other, I pulled them closer and pressed their hands together in an awkward handshake.
"What are you—?!" Lisa protested, her face flushing.
"Today's victory belongs to both of you," I said. "As heroes, as humans, there's no reason to fight each other. Celebrate together."
For a moment, Rosy's lips curled into a soft smile, but Lisa's reaction was anything but warm.
"Don't be ridiculous!" she snapped, yanking her hand free with more force than I expected.
Her fiery glare burned into me.
"You! I don't know who you are or where you came from, but let me make something clear. Heroes are just as much my enemy as monsters. I'll defeat every last one of them if I have to. I'm the only true hero. I'll prove it by taking down all the others!"
With that, she turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving us in the now-quiet forest.
The battle was over. Peace had returned.
But as I looked at Rosy, I could see the shadow of sadness lingering in her expression, a wound inflicted not by monsters, but by Lisa's cruel words.