"I will save you—and I will kill you."
Tatsuki leapt in front of her, Zanpakuto in hand, and slowly crouched down.
Shlick!
The blade pierced Beatrice's chest with zero resistance, stabbing clean through and out her back.
She closed her eyes gently… and quietly awaited death.
The end that she had long wished for.
Tatsuki drew back the Zanpakuto, still clean of any blood, rose to his feet, and turned toward the door.
"From this day forward, you are free. You may live for yourself now."
With that, he left the room.
Beatrice's eyes snapped open.
"I'm… not dead?!"
Only then did she realize that her heart hadn't been pierced. She didn't understand the meaning of Tatsuki's final words. If she wasn't killed… then nothing had ended.
If the contract still existed, then there was no such thing as freedom.
The contract…
Beatrice suddenly stood up, her eyes wide in disbelief. Looking down at her hands, she trembled as she murmured:
"The contract… it's gone…"
…
Not long after, Emilia had regained her usual calm and composure. The apocalyptic expedition was still ongoing, so no one was leaving yet.
After indulging in a luxurious dinner, the blonde maid head of the castle had assigned everyone their own rooms for rest.
Tatsuki was just about to lie down when—
Click.
The door opened.
Bathed in soft, silvery moonlight, two figures entered—one blue-haired, one pink.
"Rem?" Tatsuki sat up, puzzled. "What's the matter?"
Rem stepped to his side and gave a deep bow.
"Master, thank you for restoring my sister's horn."
So it was about that. He waved his hand casually. "Don't mention it. I chose the two of you—it was nothing."
Rem lifted her face. "Perhaps it seemed small to Master… but to me, it was the only redemption in my heart."
Her eyes shimmered with emotion—words that had been buried for too long.
Tatsuki didn't interrupt. He simply listened.
"Ram and I… we are the taboo twins of the Oni clan. Born with one horn each, the clan leader tried to kill us the moment we were born."
"But in that instant, my sister released a powerful magical surge that stunned the clan head. That's how we survived."
In Oni tradition, each member of the tribe is born with two horns. But as twins, each of them inherited only one—a sign of impurity. They were supposed to be abandoned.
But because of Ram's overwhelming power from birth, the clan leader realized these twins were not ordinary.
That's why they were spared.
Rem smiled faintly. "That was the first time my sister protected me."
"Ram had immense talent for magic. I… was completely different."
Though born together, though equally one-horned, Rem had always paled in comparison. Ram's extraordinary gifts earned her the clan's praise. Rem, unable to surpass her sister, chose to follow from behind instead.
"Until that day… I realized how vile, how disgraceful I truly was."
She lowered her head, fists clenched tightly.
Rem had thought she'd let go of trying to outdo her sister. She thought she'd come to accept the gap between them.
But when the Witch Cult attacked their village, and Ram lost her only horn while protecting Rem—
"I didn't feel fear. My first reaction… was a smile."
"I thought: Finally… Ram's horn is broken."
The real guilt Rem had carried wasn't that her sister had been injured.
It was that in that moment, she felt… relieved.
That instant of twisted joy—that sinful jealousy—was what had haunted her all this time. The pressure she had felt growing up vanished in that instant, and she couldn't forgive herself for that.
Ram had saved her life.
And she… had betrayed her.
She had betrayed her sister's love—and the deep bond between them.
Rem's voice choked as she whispered, "I… I'm so despicable."
Tatsuki understood. This kind of distorted jealousy… was all too human.
He knelt beside her, gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, and asked softly, "What about now? Ram's horn has been restored. How does Rem feel now?"
A gentle smile appeared at the corners of her lips. "I'm happy. I no longer feel jealous of my sister. Now that she's recovered her horn… I truly, from the bottom of my heart, feel happy for her."
Tatsuki looked up with a knowing smile. "You heard all that, didn't you, Ram? What's your take?"
"Eh?!"
Rem spun around in surprise—and there, behind her, stood Ram, having silently approached at some point.
"Big sis…"
Ram had heard everything.
She now understood the weight of Rem's guilt.
"...Sigh."
With a long sigh, Ram stepped forward, walked up to Rem, and gently wrapped her arms around her.
Her pink bangs cast shadows over her eyes—but within them shone nothing but warmth and sisterly love.
"You really are my idiot little sister," she said gently. "How could I ever be mad at you?"
"Big sister…"
Overwhelmed with emotion, Rem buried herself in Ram's arms and sobbed. Ram gently stroked her hair as she held her.
The heartwarming scene left Tatsuki feeling a little like a third wheel, so he quietly reduced his presence.
Only after the sisters calmed down did they remember he was still there.
They wanted to thank him properly for everything he'd done.
…
[Ding! Witch Factors in this world have been purged. Chaos neutralized. Apocalypse concluded!]
[Ding! Tatsuki has absorbed all Witch Factors. Global chaos resolved!]
[Tatsuki awarded 2,000,000 Apocalypse Points!]
[Ding! Others identified for eliminating chaos-related threats!]
[Additional 100,000 Apocalypse Points awarded to other members!]
Early the next morning, Tatsuki awoke to the system's notifications.
"Oh? So Satella finished her task?"
"Yes, Master."
A clear, crisp voice responded as shadows rippled across the floor—Satella had returned.
"Master, look out! Witch Cult!"
Despite being naked, Ram and Rem quickly moved to shield Tatsuki with their bodies. Their instincts were sharp when it came to detecting a witch's presence.
But the moment they saw the figure's face, they both gasped in unison. "Lady Emilia?!"
Tatsuki wrapped his arms around both of them. "Relax. She's one of us. Let me introduce you—the Witch of Envy, Satella."
"Hello," Satella greeted them softly.
Without her other half—the Envy persona—Satella's demeanor was gentle, almost identical to Emilia's.
"Eh?"
The Witch of Envy… Satella?!
That infamous name was known to all. Of course they'd heard of her. They were just about to ask what was going on when—
Bang!
The door swung open.
"Tatsuki! The mission's complete!" It was Exusiai, cheering as she rushed in to share the news—only to freeze in place.
Three naked people. One woman who looked almost exactly like Emilia. All gathered in a single room.
"Uh…"
Exusiai scratched her head, cheeks flushed pink. "Yeah, looks like I came at a really bad time, huh?"
Tatsuki raised an eyebrow. "You think?"
"Goodbye!"
Bang! The door shut again.
Tatsuki sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Let's get dressed first…"
…
Afterwards, Tatsuki explained the situation about Satella and the other witches to Ram and Rem.
They were both in awe of his strength.
When the three of them left the room, every pair of eyes turned toward them—some gentle, some teasing, some bashful.
Tatsuki acted like he didn't see any of it. "The mission's done. Time for us to head back."
"Eh? Is everyone really leaving already?"
Emilia's cheeks were flushed red. She looked reluctant. This was her first time having so many friends—and now they were all about to go their separate ways.
But it was clear Emilia had regained her emotional footing. She had managed to pull herself out of the sadness and betrayal left behind by Roswaal.
"We're not saying goodbye forever," Tatsuki said with a smile. "Besides, Ram and Rem are staying here for now. They'll be back."
He wasn't taking them with him at the moment. Emilia still needed support around the castle, and he had already discussed it with Ram and Rem. They had agreed willingly.
Saeko Busujima nodded. "That's right. And not just us—Emilia, you can always come visit our side too."
Emilia understood. All good things must eventually come to an end. Though she was filled with reluctance, she still smiled.
"I know. Goodbye, everyone."
Tatsuki smiled gently.
One by one, the others began to depart.
Tatsuki notified Reinhard and Suoh Mikoto via the group chat.
Tatsuki: "Reinhard, Mikoto, the expedition's over. We're heading back."
Suoh Mikoto: "Got it. I'm returning too."
Reinhard: "Thank you all for your help."
Tatsuki confirmed his return, and before leaving, turned to a shadowed corner and gave a small wave with a smile.
From within the shadows of the staircase, Beatrice slowly stepped out. Her lips parted, about to say something—but by then, Tatsuki's figure had already vanished.
"…"
Beatrice stood there in silence, her heart heavy. She had missed her chance.
"Don't be sad, Betty."
Puck appeared out of thin air, floating to her side and patting her head gently.
"Tatsuki-kun will be back."
As Beatrice's older brother, Puck already knew the truth—the contract binding her had been destroyed. She was now free.
"Next time, be brave, okay? If there's something you want to say, make sure you say it out loud."
Beatrice lifted her head, eyes full of determination.
"Next time… Betty definitely will!"
...
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