The wind at the top of the Central Clock Tower became thick and heavy at this moment.
In the distance, the edges of the horizon were curling and blackening inch by inch, shedding flakes of gray ash.
Those scattering embers tumbled in midair—fragments of reality that were gradually losing their physical form under the lingering power of Judgment.
Kaila's body had already become translucent.
Her golden hair drifted in the wind, its tips dissolving into faint specks of fluorescence like dying fireflies on a midsummer night, carrying a sacred yet heartbreaking sense of fading.
Her grayish-white nun's robes were slowly merging into the morning light behind her. Her body, once dazzling under the wash of Holy Light, now possessed a transparent paleness.
Sophie quietly watched the collapsing scenery in the distance.
She slowly reached out, her fingers sweeping through the empty air before finally finding Kaila's hand in the flickering light and shadow, which had almost lost all sense of weight.
It felt as if she had caught a flake of fresh winter snow that was struggling to stay intact, melting before it could even hit the ground.
Sophie had touched Kaila's hand many times, but never like today. It felt as though this cold, fragile hand would disintegrate between her fingers the moment she let go.
So, she would not let go today.
Inch by inch, Sophie tightened her grip.
Her nails dug into the almost transparent flesh as she stared at the mark.
No blood flowed out; only fine, golden powder swirled around the wound.
“I don't understand,” Sophie said.
“Eh?”
Kaila struggled to flutter her eyelashes. Upon hearing those words, her rose-colored eyes, which were on the verge of losing focus, slowly shifted at a tiny angle.
She seemed to want to see Sophie's current expression clearly.
But for her right now, even maintaining this movement was an absolute luxury.
“From just now, Miss Hero has been talking to herself, saying all kinds of bizarre things.”
“About how you're afraid you'll forget me, how remembering for a single second is enough, and how you'd rather die as a Hero than become the next Witch.”
Sophie repeated each word deliberately.
“Sophie...” Kaila murmured blankly.
Even in the mental world, golden chains began to manifest, wrapping around the Hero's body inch by inch.
Kaila was not angry.
Even when accused like this, the transparent tranquility in the depths of her eyes remained unbroken.
She only felt regret.
Regret that, in the end, she had failed to make Sophie understand the thing she called conviction.
“What a pain, what a pain, what a pain.”
“An absolute pain.”
“In my entire life, I have always hated these incredibly troublesome things the most.”
“So... Sophie?”
Even the speed of Kaila's fading stalled for a moment.
The last time she had heard Sophie speak in this tone was when the two Witches clashed and she was about to go to her death.
“I've only just realized that Miss Hero is actually such a selfish person.”
“But I do not accept this kind of Hero.”
Sophie's voice grew cold.
She looked at the clock tower that was crumbling into dust, and at the illusory citizens below who served as the cornerstone of Kaila's beliefs but currently existed only as background scenery.
“I still have a few last words to say to Miss Hero.”
“Is Miss Hero willing to listen?”
Kaila's eyelids drooped. At this moment, everything she looked at in the outside world was double-visioned.
Her mind, which was already on the verge of being assimilated by the void, was forcibly hooked by a corner because of those final words.
This was the final chance.
If she refused, she would return to nothingness within the next three seconds.
If she agreed...
But my time...
“It doesn't matter,” Sophie said.
Sophie looked at the black holes already wreaking havoc at the edge of the clock tower.
“As long as Miss Hero nods.”
“I still have a trump card.”
She was not joking.
Kaila struggled to look at that face, which still exuded an all-contemptuous aura despite her current state.
If it were her...
Fine.
She thought.
Before that eternal silence descended, before that soul-crushing duty swallowed her whole.
Let me be extravagant just this once.
Even if it is only to hear this voice a little longer.
“Just... once,” Kaila whispered.
With this agreement, her life force, which had already ground to a near-halt, eerily began to flow back.
This was the will of the Hero, Kaila.
Because she wanted to hear Sophie's final words, Kaila's will to live briefly suppressed the assimilation of her identity.
Though her translucent frame still trembled, and though the surrounding clock tower base continued to crumble into dust, the small patch of ground they occupied in the center of the giant, circular dial became the final sanctuary in the entire world.
Sophie closed her eyes.
She could hear the distant wind of Silvervein City.
She could also hear Kaila's nearly extinguished heartbeat beside her.
That heartbeat was slowing down.
Once.
Twice.
Even though I've already done so much.
Sophie slowly lowered her head.
She no longer looked at the sky collapsing all around them.
The collapsing void, the dissipating karma, the so-called curses and redemptions—at this moment, they all lost the profound meaning originally bestowed upon them.
All that remained was the cold, fragmented hand in her palm.
“I will say everything in one breath,” Sophie said softly.
She looked up at the crumbling sky.
That was her final look.
Then, she closed her eyes and gently rested her forehead against Kaila's hand.
...
The fire had gradually faded, yet the shadow of the King was nowhere to be seen.
Demon Sophie, Angel Sophie, and Sister Sophie stared at the empty spot where Original Sophie had been.
“The original is just gone like that,” Demon Sophie gloated. “Was she taken away by Miss Hero's death rattle? Well, that counts as getting rid of a major pest.”
“Stop with the sarcasm, Demon,” Angel Sophie said as she slowly stood up.
“The original going offline is temporary. But if we don't take action now, Miss Hero will completely wither away. When the original comes back, she'll definitely hiss at us.”
“Understood. Though I've always been too lazy to take on this kind of manual labor, we exist precisely for situations like this, after all.”
Demon Sophie shrugged. She kicked aside a snack bag on the floor, a chilling look entering her eyes.
The meeting hall of the inner world instantly transformed, with dashboards of various sizes flashing rapidly.
“I'll drive the left brain,” Angel Sophie said, placing both hands on the control sensor area.
“I'll drive the right brain.” Demon Sophie licked her fangs and stepped to the other side.
“I'll drive the House of Commons!” Sister Sophie shouted.
In the outside world.
At the top of the Central Clock Tower, the friction of the interlocking gears grew sharp and grating.
Sophie, who had frozen after being hit by Judgment, convulsed violently at this moment.
“Stupid Demon, stop shaking your head! The balance is completely off!” Angel Sophie's complaint echoed in their mind.
“Stupid Angel, can't you just stabilize the body? The center of gravity is on the left foot, can't you see that?” Demon Sophie shot back without yielding.
Sophie's body teetered precariously, her left and right shoulders twitching at uncoordinated intervals.
But even so, the body still shakily extended its arms.
Its movements were stiff, yet it firmly held onto Kaila, who was gradually turning transparent and looked as if she might scatter into the wind at any second.
Kaila allowed herself to be handled like a doll.
“Yay! Finally, time for some social space!”
Sister Sophie cheered.
“This time! I want to be on top!”
In the outside world.
Sophie's body displayed an incredible burst of power.
“Eh? Eh? Eh?” Angel Sophie let out a short, panicked shriek. “Wait, Sister Sophie, you're controlling the waist muscles! This posture—”
It was too late.
Since the House of Commons held absolute power over physical output, Sophie's body stumbled through a dizzying series of lurches. Using the momentum of the fall, she ended up straddling Kaila's waist in a dominant, highly aggressive posture.
“Sister Sophie...” Angel Sophie facepalmed in the inner world, her voice filled with helplessness. “If Original Sophie finds out you treated her white moonlight like this, she'll definitely hiss at you.”
“Who cares!” Sister Sophie's voice was full of excitement. “The original is usually so wishy-washy, hesitating forever just for a hug. I don't care, just do it!”
Controlling Sophie's fingers, she pinned down Kaila's translucent wrists.
“Perhaps we shouldn't do this... but that is a submissive way of thinking.”
Demon Sophie let out a malicious chuckle from the side, idly toggling the neural impulses of the right brain.
“Forget it, Angel. Although the posture is a bit ungraceful, given the original's soft, timid personality—only daring to mumble about 'friends' in her sleep—this might actually be her last chance to be 'on top'. In the future, who knows...”
Angel Sophie was speechless.
However.
Perhaps this was a good thing.
It was the weight of existence itself.
Even the nothingness of death had to make way for this heavy contact.
“Can she really survive?” Angel Sophie asked, somewhat worried.
“Don't worry. If Kaila really is the Hero,” Demon Sophie said, crossing her arms, “then she will definitely not miss this...”
“...once-in-a-lifetime...”
“...great wave.”
In the outside world.
Sophie, who was sitting astride Kaila, turned her head at this moment.
Her crimson eyes flashed with an eerie light in the shadows.
Then, Sophie leaned down.
Opening her mouth, her sharp fangs flashed with a cold, menacing gleam in the morning light.
Without any hesitation, she bit directly into Kaila's fragile, translucent neck, which looked as though it would shatter at a touch.
【Blood Suck (Reversed) Lv.Max activated.】
Scalding, rich blood, packed with the vital essence of a Vampire, began to surge madly into Kaila's body through the channels of her fangs.
“Eh? Why isn't she kissing her on the lips?” In the inner world, Sister Sophie, who was responsible for unleashing physical potential, blinked, her voice filled with disappointment. “In times like this, shouldn't a deep kiss be used to awaken the soul?”
“That kind of thing can only be done by the original,” Angel Sophie said, helplessly patting Sister Sophie's head with a gentle yet sorrowful look in her eyes.
“All we can do right now is forcibly graft this body's purest life force onto Miss Hero.”
Blood surged through Kaila's veins.
Kaila, who had been so transparent she was about to vanish, now had her outline forcibly redrawn by the continuously injected blood, causing even the chains to recede slightly.
A weight heavier than death.
“In the face of immense gravity, even light cannot escape,” Angel Sophie murmured softly.
“Do your best, Original.”
“Make this world remember the fact that Kaila is still alive.”
Believe.
Belief requires no reason.
...
The wild wind howled fiercely once again over this island that was gradually crumbling.
Sophie had initially been holding Kaila's remaining, somewhat translucent hand with one of her own.
But now, as if in prayer, she closed her eyes and cupped Kaila's hand in both of hers.
Kaila tilted her head back, her rose-colored eyes maintaining their transparent clarity even on the verge of losing focus.
She gazed at Sophie's profile.
Just now, right before her, Sophie had clearly agreed to say her final words, but afterward, she seemed to fall into a long silence.
A faint, puzzled look of confusion flickered in Kaila's eyes.
Did she want her to hold on and not die?
But she was already trying her hardest to hold on. If the silence lasted any longer, she might not be able to hear anything at all.
—What do you want to say?
—What do you want to do?
—Why maintain this suffocating silence at a time like this?
Kaila did not have the strength to ask these questions aloud.
She only felt the world growing cold, save for the hand held by Sophie, which was being ignited by an excessively hot, almost burning temperature.
Sophie did not look up, nor did she answer.
She lowered her head. Her long silver hair, caught by the high-altitude wind, slid down her slender shoulders like a silver waterfall, completely obscuring her vision.
The strands of hair were long and fine, so white they took on a translucent quality in the bleak sunlight.
The long hair fell across the back of Kaila's gripped hand, also veiling Sophie's face.
Then, Sophie leaned her body forward.
Her forehead pressed heavily, almost savagely, against the back of Kaila's hand.
Sophie pressed down so hard it felt as if she wanted to dump her entire weight, her unyielding skeleton, and her heavy soul all at once onto Kaila's illusory hand.
At that moment, Kaila felt it.
It was scalding.
Unlike the Sophie of the real world, who always possessed a cool body temperature characteristic of a cold-blooded Vampire, the current Sophie's forehead was as hot as molten iron fresh from a forge.
The hot forehead pressing against Kaila's cold hand created such a massive temperature contrast that Kaila had the illusion her flesh was being burned right through.
This warmth did not belong to the Evil of This World.
It belonged more to...
...the Sophie Kaila knew.
The Vampire girl who was always lazy, yet absolutely refused to lose.
What surprised Kaila even more was the subtle trembling continuously transmitting from that forehead.
Sophie was shaking.
Like the faint tremor of the earth before a giant wave strikes.
Kaila was somewhat dazed.
—Sophie.
—Why... haven't you spoken yet?
The warm breath exhaled by Sophie penetrated the curtain woven from her silver hair, brushing against Kaila's wrist.
For a moment, trivial fragments from the past few days flashed through Kaila's memory.
Those were the afternoons they had spent navigating the bustling markets of Silvervein City together. Back then, the wind carried the scent of wheat, the laughter of children chasing white doves by the marble fountain, and the shouting of vendors peddling Moon Salt shortbread.
That mundane, trivial vitality was precisely what she, as the Hero, had desperately wanted to protect.
And those times they had sat atop the clock tower that was now on the verge of collapsing.
Kaila remembered standing behind Sophie, braiding her silver hair that had been ruffled by the sunset wind, and the silky softness she had felt beneath her fingertips.
And that night, in the tiny inn room. Sharing a bed cramped with two people, she had watched over Sophie's unsightly sleeping face, counting the rhythm of her breaths second by second in the dim candlelight.
But those sounds...
...receded, growing faint.
Only the ticking of the ancient gears deep within the clock tower's foundation remained.
Tick.
Tack.
They were counting down the final moments that could still be called existence.
Tick.
Tack.
This was Kaila's own heartbeat, which had grown faint but was now starting to slowly quicken because of Sophie's warmth.
At this very instant.
“Hey,” Sophie finally spoke.
“Miss Hero and I haven't actually known each other for very long—in fact, it's only been about a week. I'm afraid of being weak, I'm afraid of not being strong enough, and I'm afraid of not having high stats. But you appeared precisely when I was at my weakest, most helpless, and most bewildered.
“The moment I saw your stats, I made up my mind. Whether by deception or by shamelessly freeloading, I had to stay by your side. Besides, Miss Hero, you are not only incredibly beautiful, but your nun's robes are beautiful, your demeanor is beautiful, and your body smells so nice.
“You even have Favorability. Honestly, I was a little scared when you pinned me against the wall, but our time together afterward left me with some regrets, because I never got to see you make such a dominant expression or movement again. You have so many subtle micro-expressions, so delicate, even though normal people can't see any emotional changes in you at all.
“But I'm not a normal person—I can see them perfectly. What's the deal with that? It makes me feel like I'm keeping some exclusive, niche treasure all to myself.
“But I really wish you were a niche treasure that belonged only to me, because everyone else just calls you 'Hero, Hero' and gets scared off by your icy expression. It's so hilarious. Like when we were buying things on our date—you always got so troubled when shopping, and whenever you were troubled, you'd look like you wanted to murder the shopkeeper's entire family, which terrified them.
“But I could tell you were just confused. Then I'd clear my throat and step in to save you, and seeing both the passersby and you looking so relieved made me feel incredibly smug.
“And having low stats all around really sucks. Even though being a Vampire dampens pain, I still hate unexpected deaths. If I go out, I could easily die a dog's death for some random reason.
“If I suddenly had to save someone out of nowhere—especially someone important—I would find it an absolute pain. But with Miss Hero around, it's different. And when you carried me on your back, it felt so strange.
“Even though I hold you when we sleep, being carried on your back felt really fun. Of course, I'd usually dress it up as 'rationally utilizing a teammate's mobility, optimizing party resource allocation, and forging a strong alliance,' but in reality, I just really need you and love the process of going places together.
“You always speak so slowly and take everything way too seriously. Whenever I try to liven things up, you solemnly tell me 'this is a lie.' You're really terrible at small talk, but even so, you appeared right when I was at my most wretched from the very start.
“It was the same during the Witch battle, and when Little Dino suddenly popped up, and just now when we ran out of Bennis's barrier, and even the first time we faced that cold Little Yue. You don't make some grand, golden entrance—though you really do shine brightly, your Holy Light is blindingly bright, your combat strength is absurd, and your Holy Light can even heal me—but that's not the point.
“The point is, whenever someone needs help, you will definitely appear. That sense of security is exactly the same as what stats give me, except Miss Hero is a bit more beautiful and a bit warmer.
“This is the first time I've ever felt like someone in reality is genuinely remembering my thoughts, even though it's just because I've only recently arrived in this so-called reality. And interacting with Miss Hero is so much fun.
“You'd flick my forehead for using kids to bait you—which hurt so much, seriously, it really did—but then you'd tell me to just call you directly if I wanted to find you, and that you'd come to me. That's just cheating!
“You act so cold and aloof, as if you don't understand the mood at all, but your hands are so warm. I want to party up with Miss Hero for the rest of my life.
“If we don't have money, I'll go scam people to support you. If I don't have strength, I'll grind traits to support you. I want to be your friend, and I want to collect all of your expressions.
“Of course, it would be best if I could monopolize you, so you'd only look at me and become my Hero alone. Although that's a bit selfish, being selfish is completely normal, right?
“You could have just told me, and I wouldn't have minded. It's not like I'd abandon you just because you rejected me. But what are you saying now?
“Saying that fulfilling the Hero's duty is enough, that fulfilling the Hero's responsibility is enough. Is my ranking in your heart really that low? I thought I was already very important to you.
“Sure, hanging around kids to bait you was a clumsy move, but I truly waited for you for hours, you know! I knew you were with others, and I knew you'd smile at them and be gentle to them.
“I knew all of that. After all, even I can't have only one friend. Having only one lover but many friends is super natural and normal.
“But what I care about is accumulating countless single moments, and eventually gathering those moments together to turn them into a lifetime. I've always believed that companionship is the longest confession of love, especially for a creature like me who is no longer bound by a lifespan.
“But what do you want to do? With a single sigh, you want to run away from me. What a pain! An absolute pain!
“Have I ever told you that I hate it most when people put on a noble, self-sacrificing face while being unable to help with anything? I hate being powerless on the sidelines the most.
“But you've done this more than once. Every single time, it's like this. Can't you cherish yourself a little, even if only for my sake?
“If you won't cherish yourself, can't you at least empathize with my feelings as someone who cherishes you? Why do you have to do this? Isn't it good to love yourself?
“I don't want to lose anyone anymore... What did you think my original intention was when playing Galgames? I can understand your feelings, so can't you understand mine?
“You have that cheating ability, the Hero's Eye. Every time I joke with you, I have to carefully consider how to tell the truth. I've paid so much, thought so much, and cared so much about you.
“But what are you saying? 'You are the Evil of This World, you are destined to destroy this world, you will turn me into a Witch.'
“I don't hate those strange rumors or words, because I indeed haven't done many good things. But Miss Hero, what hurts me the most is that you'd rather believe those baseless rumors than believe in me—believe in the me who has spent a whole week with you in absolute sincerity.
“I barely hid anything from you! Why won't you believe me? Why won't you understand me? Why won't you just ask me?
“Instead, you play this trick of dying on your own again. You are so annoying! Do you know that even if you die, I will turn you into a skeleton, a zombie, a mummy, or a lich, forcing you to get up and stay by my side?
“I will use monster consciousness conversion to turn you into an earthbound spirit stuck to my body! Talk all you want about being swallowed by a curse—no matter where the curse takes you, I will follow you to that place and bring you back.
“Hey, I will definitely come find you, you know! At that point, will you still stubbornly talk about fulfilling your Hero's duty? Why is your head so full of yourself?
“Consider me for once! Those prophecies, legends, and stories can't depict the whole of me at all, and they're full of rumors.
“Although I used to grind some Wickedness Points, most of the time I was doing quests on the righteous side, wasn't I? Didn't I only do the main quest of the Destined Crown because the world would collapse if I didn't?
“Otherwise, wouldn't a single glance from me be enough to start collapsing the world? The stuff with the Witches wasn't intentional either! I was thinking of starting a second playthrough as a good person.
“Why do you doubt me so much? And talking about whether you can awaken my conscience... Do I really need you to sacrifice yourself just to awaken my conscience?
“Without Miss Hero, I would be in so much pain and feel so miserable! You are not allowed to die, do you hear me?!
“And I don't agree with you saying you've fulfilled your duty as a Hero. The person who truly needs saving is right in front of you! Why are you ignoring me?
“I am also one of those saved by the Hero. Why exclude me? Yeah, that's just your personality—talking to yourself and assuming you've gotten your point across.
“I don't accept it! How can you make someone saved by the Hero watch the Hero die right before their eyes? Isn't that the greatest failure of a Hero?
“Everyone else is saved, so what about me? Why am I not worth saving? I can compromise.
“I won't ask you to be a Hero who belongs only to me. You can save as many people as you want, and you can fulfill whatever mission you want.
“As long as you have me in your heart, that's enough. Just think of me even when you're with others, and you can make me grin like a fool.
“But why do you want to die? Why don't you want to live? Do you really hate me that much?
“Why won't you let me share it? Why won't you let me bear it? Why won't you believe me?
“Why do you doubt me? Why do you look like you want to perish together with me? Don't you have anything to explain to me, anything to say to me?
“Even at a time like this, you're still acting like you're on official business. Can you even understand what I'm trying to tell you?
“The person you saved is right in front of you, yet you're rambling on with all this stuff they don't want to hear. Even if you just flicked my forehead and told me not to do it again, I would nod and agree!
“Don't you love doing that the most? Where is your coddling? Where are your little schemes?
“Why are you looking at me with such a bitter, resentful expression? I only revealed my identity to save you and help you suppress the curse.
“What is there between us that we can't talk about nicely, instead of fighting to the death? Come subjugate me! Come save me! Come face me!
“Aren't you the Hero? Why are you planning to give up and run away now? Miss Hero... Miss Hero, do you understand my feelings for you?
“Can you please not die? Can you not die? Can you live? Can you live a good life?”
“In short, Miss Hero... can you please not die?”
The wind stopped for a fraction of a second.
The ticking of the gears also held its breath.
Those words were not merely “heard”—rather, through the skill 【I, Without Fear of Forgetting】, they were brutally and unreasonably engraved into the deepest recesses of her soul.
Don't... shove such bizarre things into my head.
It's too much.
Way too much nonsense.
The logic is a complete mess, filled with childish stubbornness and selfishness.
She herself had never been good at communicating since childhood.
So...
“...Sophie.”
Kaila's lips parted, exhausting the tiny bit of strength she had just gathered.
“Was that... a confession just now?”
The scalding forehead resting against the back of her hand suddenly froze.
In the next second, that silver-haired head snapped upward.
The wild wind swept away the strands of hair obscuring her face, revealing Sophie's face, wet with a few glittering tears.
Kaila saw it clearly.
Those crimson eyes, which usually overflowed with ease or nonchalance, were now brimming with large, heavy tears.
She looked utterly aggrieved.
“Ugh...!”
A cry of mixed anger and grievance escaped Sophie's throat. She suddenly lunged forward, her hands tightly gripping Kaila's collar, her nose almost bumping against Kaila's.
With a thick, tearful voice and an unmasked breakdown, she slammed her roar right into the Hero's face:
“Does that even need explaining, you stupid Hero?!”
“—Of course it's a confession!!!”
...
Rate on N.U.
