Chapter 42: The Truth of You and Me

A crisp autumn breeze stirred the white curtains, their edges fluttering like whispers against the morning light. 

Below the window, the garden lay bare, stripped by the season’s touch, with only a scattering of blue petals clinging to the earth.

In the bathroom, a white-haired girl in a black nun’s habit stood before the sink, gazing into the mirror. 

Her reflection stared back, a silent judge.

A sour churn rose in Noi’s stomach, and she bent over the sink, retching dryly. 

Turning on the faucet, she splashed cold water on her neck and collarbone, trying to quell the nausea clawing at her.

The dream from the previous night had kept her locked in her room, fasting for a full day. 

Today, she’d forced herself to face the world again, but the sight of her own face in the mirror reignited a storm of self-loathing and condemnation.

She remembered everything from her frenzied state. 

Lyte’s behavior during that time had made one thing clear: he knew she was a witch.

‘No wonder he looked at me that way during the knighting ceremony…’

Noi clenched her fists, suppressing the chill in her gut, and drew a deep breath.

In the game, there was only one ending: Lyte killed Noi. 

Defeat meant a reset, with no cinematic cutscene to soften the blow.

Why, then, had Lyte been kind to her afterward? 

Did he believe she could be redeemed? 

Or did he have some ulterior motive? 

With his strength, killing her outright would’ve been simpler… 

So why had he chosen to get close to her?

Doubts swirled, but they no longer mattered.

Noi opened her system panel, eyes tracing the dramatic leap in her stats after her frenzied state. 

Frenzy itself had become an active skill, no longer requiring a trigger. 

She could transform into that cold, emotionless witch whenever she chose.

The signs were clear, tempting her to unleash her true power, to grow stronger, invincible, until no one could stand in her way.

‘Do I really need this power?’

Noi stared at her water-streaked hands, lost in thought.

A loud thud shattered her reverie as the door was kicked open. 

Tina burst in, balancing a tray laden with food.

“Noi! Where are you hiding?” Tina’s voice rang through the room.

Noi poked her head out of the bathroom. 

“I’m here.”

“Hey! You’re alive!” Tina grinned, setting the tray down. 

“You haven’t eaten in a day. Aren’t you starving?”

“I’m… fine,” Noi murmured.

Wiping her face with a clean towel, Noi took the tray and joined Tina at the small table for breakfast.

“Noi, you’ve got to let it go,” Tina said between bites. 

“Grandma Corinne and the kids are doing fine. Chenxi and I patched them up good as new. Don’t beat yourself up like this.”

“Did ‘they’ tell you that?” Noi asked quietly.

By “they,” she meant Xing Chen and Lyte, the only ones who’d witnessed her transformation into a witch.

“Them? Oh, you mean Lyte?” Tina said. 

“Yeah, he told us that. He said we should take care of you and let him know when you’re ready to come out.”

Noi paused mid-bite, her toast forgotten. 

“Let him know?”

“Yup. He said he’s got something super important to tell you. And then, well, it sounds like he’s…” Tina trailed off.

“Tina!” Chenxi’s voice cut through as he stepped into the bedroom, silencing the red-haired priestess before she could spill more.

Tina pouted, her cat-like lips forming a small “m.” 

“Ugh, fine. You’ll find out soon enough.”

Noi barely registered the exchange, her hand trembling as she sipped her milk. 

Half the glass spilled down her chest, and she choked, coughing violently.

“Hey, Noi, calm down!” Tina said, rushing to help.

After a flurry of chaos, Noi finished her breakfast, changed into a fresh nun’s habit, and headed to the temple alone, her heart pounding with trepidation.

“Spar?” Noi’s voice was barely audible.

“Yes,” Lyte replied. 

“I want to test your skills, Miss Noi.”

The temple stood empty, its heavy doors sealed to keep the world out.

The black-haired boy unhooked the holy sword  from his waist, its bronze scabbard nowhere to be seen.

Noi clutched the sapphire necklace at her throat, her face a mask of forced indifference, though her heart ached with every beat.

‘Miss Noi? No more “little angel” or “Vivi”?’

“Are you ready?” Lyte asked, slipping into the stance of a warrior, his hand gripping the sword’s hilt.

“…I’m ready,” Noi whispered, exhaling a barely audible sigh. 

She tightened her grip on the silver priestess sword borrowed from Tina, steeling herself for the hero’s judgment.

This was their first battle, a clash where both staked their convictions.

No referee called the start. 

Lyte swung his sword without mercy, unleashing a golden wave of energy, its angle so precise it seemed aimed at a deadly foe, not a frail nun.

Noi summoned her magic, conjuring a radiant shield. 

Layer upon layer, she fortified it, but the sword’s intent pierced through, though it bought her just enough time to dodge.

The wave grazed her shoulder, slicing her sleeve and drawing blood from her tender skin.

“Clack, clack.” 

The iron boots of Lyte’s hero uniform echoed sharply against the quartz floor, each step sending a tremor through Noi’s chest.

His holy sword danced relentlessly, each swing unleashing waves of magic-infused energy from different angles. 

Noi darted left and right, a deer fleeing a leopard, barely avoiding grievous wounds.

When they closed to within two meters, Lyte spoke, his voice calm. 

“You know…”

He stopped the barrage of sword waves, lunging forward with a thrust so swift Noi barely raised her light shield in time to avoid being skewered.

“What?” she gasped, breathless, her tattered habit exposing her vulnerability, the  images from her  clawing at her mind.

What chilled her more was Lyte’s expression—identical to the one the older hero had worn in her dream.

“When you turned into a witch,” he said, “you scared me.”

The words cut deeper than any blade, more wounding than the gashes on her body.

A flash of golden light followed as Lyte brought his sword down in a heavy vertical slash. 

Drawing on her enhanced strength from her frenzied state, Noi caught the blade with her left hand, pressing against its spine to hold it at bay.

The holy sword locked with her silver one, forcing the hero and nun closer. 

Staring into his striking face, Noi struggled to speak. 

“Why… Do you hate me?”

“Do you really want to know?” Lyte’s smile was warm as ever, but to Noi, it carried the cold majesty of an ancient Greek statue.

His sword pressed harder, its force driving Noi to her knees, her arms trembling as she fought to hold it back.

Sunlight filtered through the temple’s windows, bathing the carpet where they stood. 

Lyte’s expression softened as he leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear, yet his words were icy. 

“I hate you—a woman with two faces.”

“No, that’s not true!” Noi protested, her voice desperate. 

Unlike in her dream, her mouth wasn’t sewn shut, but Lyte gave her no chance to explain.

He clapped a hand over her mouth. 

“Quiet! You hid the truth from me, meeting with those creatures in the warehouse. Were you planning to betray the Church?”

“Mmph!” Noi tried to shake her head, but Lyte’s grip held her still.

“Shh. I know you’re too ashamed to admit it,” he continued. 

“I don’t care what your connection to those creatures is. I just think you’re despicable. Those creatures you kidnapped didn’t deserve that pain.”

Noi’s crimson eyes grew cold, disappointment radiating from her.

Channeling all her magic into her arms, she shoved his sword aside and rolled to her feet. 

“I’m not that kind of person! You can’t accuse me like that! The creatures did that, not me!”

“Accuse?” Lyte tossed a magical imaging stone to the ground. 

It flickered to life, projecting a scene from the warehouse’s surveillance—a white-haired witch brutally killing Xing Chen, twice.

“For a witch, aren’t creatures the perfect allies?” Lyte said.

“No… Lyte, let me explain—”

“It’s too late!” His voice was final, cutting her off.

Seeing Noi’s wounded expression, Lyte softened slightly. 

“Let’s say I won this spar. This past week… let’s call it a game. It’s over. I’m returning to the capital.”

“And if I win?” Noi asked, her head bowed, hair veiling her face. 

“Will you stay?”

Lyte raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. 

“If you can manage that, then come at me. But if you lose, that sapphire necklace around your neck belongs to me. I’ll give it to the princess I revere—she’s the only one worthy of a gem symbolizing the hero’s authority.”

“Only she’s worthy…” Noi echoed, her fingers lingering on the necklace, reluctant to let go. 

Lyte nodded, twisting the knife. 

“Exactly. You’re not worthy of what I’ve given you. This week, I feel like I was bewitched, choosing a witch like you to protect. What a waste of my time.”

Noi said nothing, but the rising crimson aura around her betrayed her turmoil.

“Lyte…” she whispered.

“Lyte?” Her voice grew louder, her eyes shifting, consumed by blazing magical flames.

“Lyte!” The witch’s sickly smile returned, her aura thick as fog.

Seeing Noi lose control, Lyte exhaled, relief washing over him. 

“Forgive me. I had no choice.”

Noi didn’t hear him. 

Smiling, she summoned a crimson light sword and advanced.

Their blades clashed. 

Lyte fought passively, defending without attacking. 

Unconscious of her actions, Noi pressed her advantage, driving him into a corner of the temple.

Heroic energy enveloped Lyte’s chest as he deliberately left an opening. 

Noi, her instincts razor-sharp, seized it, thrusting her sword toward his heart.

The blade barely pierced before his heroic energy surged, snapping Noi’s consciousness back for a fleeting moment, though her frenzied state lingered.

“No, I don’t want to hurt Lyte!” she cried, dropping her light sword, staring at him in panic, wanting to justify her actions but unable to deny she’d succumbed to her frenzy in a desperate bid to keep him.

“Lyte… kill me. I can’t go on like this.” Noi tilted her head back, eyes closed, offering her throat to his blade, resigned to her irredeemable state.

Lyte gazed at her trembling lashes, the elegant curve of her pale neck, her nose wrinkled in fear. 

“You want to die? I won’t let you.”

With a scoff, he discarded his sword and pinned Noi against the wall.

“What are you—” Noi began, sensing danger, but it was too late.

Lyte’s kiss crashed into her, fierce and unyielding. 

Pinned against the wall, her hips trapped, Noi had nowhere to retreat. 

His lips ground against hers, the tingling sensation unraveling her thoughts, claiming her body. 

Before she could react, he pried open her jaw.

An invasive, unfamiliar presence flooded her mouth, her nerves, her senses. 

Her tongue was entangled, her saliva replaced by his essence, his scorching breath stealing her air. 

It was a clumsy, brutal kiss, like a storm ravaging her, painful yet intoxicating, their minds muddled by oxygen deprivation.

In Lyte’s eyes, Noi saw her own reflection—blissful, radiant.

‘How can this be? A hero kissing the witch who’d destroy the world—it’s wrong, immoral. I tempted him. This is all my fault.’

“Vivi…” Lyte murmured between breaths, his voice thick with affection.

“Look at me, Vivi.”

The words made Noi’s heart skip. 

Her mind shattered.

Duty, taboos, ethics, morality—none of it mattered anymore.

Noi threw her arms around Lyte’s neck, kissing him with wild abandon, letting her frenzied desire consume her reason.

‘To hell with it all!’

Tears streamed down her face as she pressed her tongue into his mouth.

‘I love you. I want to be with you forever.’

Her hands slipped under his coat, tracing the contours of his chiseled abs. 

She wanted to corrupt him, to drown him in lust, to make him crave her endlessly, forsaking his role as the world’s savior to be hers alone.

She was that wicked witch, craving this reckless passion, this selfish madness.

Lyte’s hands clenched and unclenched, fighting restraint, though his body betrayed his desire.

‘Let’s fall into the abyss together.’

Noi’s legs trembled, slick with anticipation, her fingers reaching lower—

A resounding “clang” from the temple’s bell echoed, its ancient toll halting their descent. 

The fire in their eyes dimmed.

Their lips parted, a silver thread of saliva connecting them.

They stared in silence until Lyte stepped back. 

“Noi, you’re insane.”

Noi lunged, wrapping her arms around him, desperate to hold on, but he caught her wrists. 

“You don’t have to force yourself.”

Tears threatened again, but she glared at him fiercely. 

“Then confess to me. Please.”

His response plunged her into despair. 

“To me, a confession is a prelude to marriage. Do you think a hero would marry a witch?”

Noi had no words. 

Her frenzy had faded, Lyte’s heroic energy freeing her from its grip. 

The pain was sharp, but she was clear headed now.

Swallowing her tears, she turned to leave.

She thought it was over, but an arm snaked around her waist, pulling her back.

A tingling sensation spread through her neck as Lyte’s teeth grazed her skin, marking her possessively. 

“Once I deal with the creatures in Wagner Town, I’ll propose to you.”

Noi froze, then smiled, tears flooding her cheeks. 

She couldn’t build a wall against him.

She clung to him, breathing in the grassy scent of his hair. 

Forehead to forehead, nose to nose, their lips locked once more.

Her tears were salty, bitter, yet her heart brimmed with a sweet ache.

This was the forbidden love between the savior hero and the world-ending witch.