“Ahhhhh...”
Tina let out a painful wail, clutching her head as she forced herself not to hurt Sathya.
Seeing Tina so broken, Sathya felt a sharp pang of grief in her heart.
Tina was going to turn completely into a magical beast.
Most importantly, the beastification would tear her soul apart, turning her into a slave to her own obsession.
If things continued like this, no one would be able to stop her emotions from spiraling out of control.
Sathya was one of the few magical beasts who could maintain her sanity; because of this, she understood the resentment of magical beasts better than anyone.
She didn't want Sister Tina to suffer that kind of pain.
She had to do something right now. She had to protect Sister Tina.
Tina had lost too much in this battle.
She had lost the person she once trusted implicitly, the teacher she had believed to represent so-called justice.
Am I her last pillar of support?
Why am I causing her even more pain?
She recalled the lies Tina had told—or rather, the well-intentioned lies.
She had said that I lied to her, because I didn't keep our promise, because I didn't survive.
...Survive?
That was a promise they had made to each other when they were very young.
Back then, they had even crossed pinkies, making countless childhood wishes and dreaming of a beautiful future.
They had fantasized about leaning on and relying on each other when they grew up, and perhaps the seeds of love had already quietly begun to sprout...
These memories, which had vanished as they drifted apart, were now bursting forth once more.
Countless pieces of evidence proved that Sister Tina possessed her memories from before.
Sister Tina was enduring all of this, perhaps for my sake, or perhaps simply because she didn't want to burden me in my weakened state.
—After the Time Reversal spell was cast, did Sister Tina really remain conscious?
It turned out she cared about me deeply.
She would grieve over my death.
She really did have her past memories.
If she had known this when her magic core was weak, she probably would have died content.
Yes.
How could Sister Tina ever hate me?
She had always liked me.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have even accepted our first kiss...
Her lingering affection wouldn't lie; those gentle glances she unconsciously gave whenever she calmed down wouldn't lie; the anticipation in her eyes when she received new clothes and care wasn't a lie either. What she said was the complete opposite of her kind actions. Yet, because I was afraid to face it, did I choose to turn a blind eye?
The scarlet crucifix on her neck seemed to have explained everything long ago.
An emotion I was too afraid to face...
Sister Tina is just even more afraid of accepting herself than I am.
She had to lay everything bare!
“You remember everything, don't you?” Sathya said calmly.
Tina suddenly stopped thrashing.
She froze, seemingly unable to accept this reality.
Her eyes didn't dare meet Sathya's anymore. In a panic, she tried to explain herself, but nothing came out.
And at that very moment, to her complete shock, Sathya actually cradled her head, pulled her down, and kissed her deeply!
“Mph...!”
Tina struggled at first, but she soon realized she no longer had the strength to push this soft, delicate body away.
“Mmm...”
In the end, she was the one pinned to the ground.
When they parted, she covered her face, unable to accept that Sathya knew the truth.
“I will... get you... killed...”
“I actually know everything. I moved your body to the village and said some really... perverted things to you every day, didn't I? You knew all along, Sister Tina.”
“I don't... know... what you're... talking about...” The beastification was beginning to affect Tina's voice.
“The only reason I'm still alive today is because of you. You're the one who kept me alive. You saved me.”
“I hate you... I... hate you...” she stammered, as if she could no longer find the words. She pouted, seemingly choking back silent sobs, yet also looking somewhat embarrassed.
“I love you.”
In Tina's mind, scenes from their date suddenly flashed by.
Little Ya bought me so many clothes.
We drank juice and played the Truth Draw. I still remember how full of anticipation her eyes were when she looked at me. I felt like I shouldn't let her down, because she really did love me.
I was so nervous that day.
I even kissed her...
But I was also so happy.
Tina remembered that time.
When she drew the question "Who is the person you like?" during the Truth Draw, she had actually been thrilled deep down.
Because she could have confidently, openly, and without any hesitation declared that name.
Sathya.
The person I like is Sathya. She's a girl.
I hate this feeling so much—keeping it all bottled up, even deliberately hurting her just to hide the truth. This has happened more than once.
I want so badly to tell her that I love her, that I like her.
“I promised that no matter what, I would always stay by your side, Sister Tina.”
“Really...?”
“I would never lie to you, Sister Tina~ Just like I said, at least we are both still alive right now, aren't we?”
Tina, who had still been struggling, now simply lay submissively on the sand.
She was hesitating.
She was trying to figure out how Sathya knew all of this.
But her mind began to go blank once more.
Fortunately, the System didn't disturb her this time.
Her mind felt clean and comfortable.
Suddenly, Sathya cradled her head again and pressed her lips to Tina's once more, only far more proactively this time.
By the time they parted, Tina's tears had burst through the floodgates once again.
“Ugh...”
Weeping pitifully, she finally understood.
Sathya knew everything. She had laid it all bare now. She knew of Tina's struggles, and she knew everything they had gone through together.
I'm so happy.
She won't really die, will she? What about her magic core?
My throat hurts so much. Is this the toll of beastification? I can barely form words.
“Don't... Little Ya...”
“Don't... lie to me... I like you... Little Ya... I love you so much...”
“Sob, sob, sob...”
“I never... want to see you get hurt again... you liar...”
“I love you... I love you...”
“...”
“Don't... leave me all alone.”
On the pale sand, they huddled close together. One of the girls wept bitterly in the other's embrace, their voices unheard by anyone.
The edge of the White Dusk Forest quietly receded. The black trees seemed to shrink into the ground, turning into wisps of miasma and vanishing as if they had never existed.
In just a few days, this black forest would completely disappear.
The miasma in the sky, however, did not disperse.
...
A pure white dove soared through the sky. Suddenly, it lowered its head, spread its wings, and flew downward. It entered a flower shop in a small town, glided over a vibrant cluster of blossoms, and landed on a young girl's slender finger, gently tugging at her pink hair.
The girl stroked the dove's back, nodding with a smile as she hummed a tune.
“I know, I'm watching too.”
“This is a necessary step, after all.”
“Oh? The Sword God didn't die? How disappointing.”
“What name should I give to the Demon King?”
“I've got it. Let's call her the 【Dragon Magical Beast】.”
Rate on N.U.
