Black flames defiled the holy white robes, spreading outward from the girl's feet. Like the tentacles of countless ancient gods, they crawled up the walls, spreading across the exquisite murals.
They formed a black lake, rising past her ankles.
This eerie power was scalding hot; an ordinary human would have quickly perished within it.
Tina's eyes widened. The girl before her—her eyes had turned crimson, with a cross in her pupils. It was so bizarre and yet sacred, an absolute defilement of the Church.
Countless black flames, resembling vines, swirled around her as if serving and pleasing their master.
Yet, this very girl who could only be described as a “monster” was Sathya.
Just as Tina saw, she had turned into a monster.
“Boom!”
The powerful shockwave made it hard for Tina to breathe. The girl's rage had completely supplanted her reason.
The black flames condensed into a massive, pitch-black hand. It snatched Tina off the ground, squeezing her in its palm, and lifted her up to face the girl.
A familiar yet bizarre, layered voice escaped the girl's lips.
“Why? Why? Why? Why...?”
She repeatedly demanded, over and over again.
She even harbored a fleeting thought—to drag Tina down to die with her.
A single tear of blood rolled down the corner of the girl's eye. For some reason, a distant memory crystallized in her mind.
...
The oppressive night sky made it hard to breathe.
“You colluded with the demons, betrayed our dogmas, and slaughtered your comrades. Humanity can no longer tolerate your sins.”
The Soul-Purifying Hall shone as bright as the sun. The girl held a golden holy sword, which radiated a blazing light. Her holy silver hair gleamed brilliantly even in the dark of night, and her slender, fair thighs, framed by her robes, looked smooth and lovely. Yet, at this moment, her eyes were filled with nothing but hatred.
“Today, in the name of the Saintess, I shall eliminate you... Goodbye, Tina!”
The execution platform was surrounded by a dense crowd. Bound brutally with iron chains to a wooden cross atop a pile of hay, the girl's dark blue hair was slightly disheveled. A mocking smile played on Tina's beautiful but pale face as she spoke coldly.
“Never see you again.”
At that exact moment, a mechanical voice rang in Tina's ears.
【Congratulations, Host, on completing the mission: Protect the Saintess, Sathya. Your body is about to detach. Please wait patiently!】
Like any typical transmigrator, Tina had ended up in this fantasy world after dying of sudden exhaustion from studying day and night in a library, only to be saddled with a mission by a system. At the age of six, she awakened her memories of her past life and obtained the system.
The system's directive was simple: “Protect Sathya.”
As her de facto childhood friend, Tina had favored and protected Sathya at every turn, from the orphanage to the convent, and finally to the battlefield where they fought side-by-side against the demons. She had constantly chased after Sathya's footsteps, pampering and caring for her like a daughter, and over time, she had even developed deeper feelings for her.
But everything was misunderstood by Sathya.
A single argument served as the catalyst, driving a wedge between her and Sathya until they eventually came to view each other as enemies.
Later, the Demon King awakened, and an all-out war erupted between the Church and the Demon King's army.
To protect Sathya, Tina had personally slain the Deceptive Magical Beast. Yet, to her surprise, the Church suspected her of being a spy for the Demon King after the battle, and she was branded a traitor instead.
And Sathya had simply turned a blind eye to it all.
But in the end, none of it mattered to Tina.
Soon, the system would send her back to her original world, allowing her to bid farewell to this place.
She didn't care in the slightest about what would become of humanity or Sathya.
“Ugh...”
As the holy fire erupted from beneath her feet, she closed her eyes.
She didn't even want to spare Sathya another glance.
【Warning: Detachment in progress, 10%】
【20%】
【50%】
【80%】
【99%】
【99%】...
Tina suddenly sensed that something was wrong. The system kept repeating “ninety-nine percent” over and over. She couldn't help but wonder if this thing was prone to bugging out like a cheap video game.
The system's next words confirmed her suspicions, followed immediately by the agonizing sensation of her body burning.
【Warning: Detachment failed!】
The system let out a strange burst of static before falling completely silent.
Initially thinking it was just a minor glitch, Tina quickly realized she was utterly doomed! This damn system had barely been of any help to begin with, and now it was leaving her stranded in this world, completely intact!
She had been turned into a girl and worked tirelessly for over a decade, hoping to leave this wretched world after completing her mission. But what on earth did “detachment failed” mean?
Fortunately, or perhaps by some miracle, the pain of the burning holy fire vanished after just a brief moment.
As her consciousness began to fade, she knew she was dying, yet the system remained completely unresponsive.
Before long, she plunged into a dark void of nothingness.
When she finally regained consciousness, she realized to her shock that she hadn't returned to her original world.
Instead, everything before her was pitch-black.
She had no breath and seemingly no body heat, like a cold corpse. Curiously, however, her senses of touch and hearing were intact, as if she were still alive. She soon realized she was still in the fantasy world.
Before she could further assess her surroundings, a sound reached her ears. It was the sound of weeping. Though muffled by a wooden barrier, she could clearly tell it was Sathya crying.
It was a pity she was trapped inside this coffin-like box; otherwise, she would have gloated at least a little.
“Sob, sob, sob...”
Sathya wept tears like rain until her voice grew hoarse, leaving only heartbreaking, choked sobs.
Tina then felt a hint of confusion. Is this girl seriously hugging my coffin and crying?
This crying session lasted for three whole hours.
Suddenly, someone called out to her from outside, but Sathya refused to leave. Resting her head against the coffin, her breathing gradually stabilized.
In the dead of night, whether talking in her sleep or under the influence of alcohol, Sathya began to mutter to herself, “I didn't know... that it would lead to this back then. I didn't know... why...”
“Why did I only realize it after you died...? Now, it's too late...”
“Why must fate treat me this way?”
Her voice was fragmented, yet perfectly audible.
Tina recalled that although she had only been trying to complete her mission, she had ultimately still viewed Sathya as a younger sister.
She had slain a crucial monster, only to be framed as a traitor by humanity.
Though Sathya had hesitated at first, once the Church presented “irrefutable proof,” she too turned her spear against Tina.
After that ordeal, Tina no longer harbored any feelings for Sathya. She realized that although Sathya had once been as pure as a blank sheet of paper, she had still strayed onto the wrong path. Now, it was too late for regrets.
Tina felt no drowsiness. Unable to move or speak, she remained like this until dawn.
Outside the coffin, only Sathya's voice could be heard. The coffin hadn't been moved. Footsteps occasionally echoed, but they all belonged to her alone.
She began to wonder if her body had already started to decay.
However, she felt perfectly fine, and there didn't seem to be any injuries.
Rather than being dead, this seemed to be another state of being alive.
Could I still be saved?
The morning cicadas chirped noisily, and the buzzing sound in her ears annoyed Tina. Just as she was thinking of taking a nap, she suddenly heard the sound of heavy objects being moved around.
She felt her body jolt. Sathya had actually hoisted the coffin onto her back.
As she carried it, she muttered to herself, “I really can't let you go, Sister Tina. I haven't stepped outside in two months... I can't move on. What should I do? What should I do? They call me the Saintess who saved the world, but I... I...”
Tina was startled. So much time had already passed.
It seemed the demons had been completely defeated, and the one she had killed was likely their last gasping breath.
Sathya was incredibly strong, the hope of all humanity, and one of the strongest humans alive. She played a pivotal role on the battlefield, as crucial as a protagonist in a novel.
However, rather than all that, she was more concerned about Sathya's current state.
Her voice was listless and her spirit broken, completely stripped of her former pride, as if she were nothing but an empty shell.
Tina could perceive a fraction of the outside world.
At first, they were in a small town. Later, Sathya carried the coffin into a forest, arriving at a second small town a few days later.
When greeting the locals, she didn't call herself “Sathya,” but used various unfamiliar names instead, changing them with every new place they visited. Clearly, she was trying to keep her identity hidden.
After a journey of several months, stopping and starting along the way, the coffin was finally set down. Just as Tina thought she would have some time to rest...
In the next second, with a sharp creak, the coffin lid was pulled open.
Rate on N.U.
