Chapter 69 : Goodbye, Milly…

“Milly…”

Her voice, muffled by the helmet, was thick with emotion. But they had lived together, fought together—Milly knew who it was.

“Tifna…”

A bitter smile touched her lips. She had imagined this moment countless times—the exposure, the betrayal. Now that it was real, even saying her name felt like a monumental effort.

Just last night, they had held each other. Tifna had gently stroked her hair, whispering, “Thank you for being here.”

Less than a day later, all of it was shattered. Every fragment of that beautiful memory now reflected her own crimson eyes.

There was no going back.

“Milly, can we talk?”

Her voice, though steady, held a faint, almost imperceptible tremor.

“Talk…”

One last time, then. From the moment her true form was revealed, their bond was destined to break.

She should have expected this. She had braced herself for it. But when the moment came, she realized no amount of preparation could have softened the blow.

If she could do it all over again… she would probably make the same choice.

A moth to a flame, knowing she would be burned.

“Milly…” Tifna sighed, a long silence stretching between them. Finally, she spoke.

“Or should I call you… brother?”

Brother again.

From head to toe, how did she resemble her brother? Had the shock broken her mind?

“I’m not your brother. I don’t know him. And I don’t know anything about the sword.”

Another sigh from within the helmet. A long, heavy silence.

Two hours ago, she and Idis had brought Milly to the Holy Radiance Cathedral. Alva had bound her with iron chains. She was too weak to resist. But worse than the chains were the looks in Tifna’s and Idis’s eyes.

“Captain… I can’t believe it. Milly… she’s a demon.”

The memory of their close contact, of her own eagerness to be near Milly, made Idis shiver. Milly had smelled so sweet. How could she be one of those filthy demons?

“And Dawn… why did she have Dawn? It’s…”

As a direct descendant of House Luminess, Tifna knew more about the holy sword than she did. It was their family’s legacy, a sword that chose its own wielder. Unless the wielder died, it would not change hands.

And now, it was in the hands of a demon.

“Can we take it back?”

“No.”

Tifna clutched her chest, a wild idea forming in her mind.

It was the only explanation that made sense. The only one that fit. She had to ask the Church for help.

The memory ended. Tifna opened her eyes.

“Our family has passed down a holy sword called Dawn for generations. My brother was its current wielder. Unless he died, it would not change hands. And even then, it would only pass to someone of our bloodline.”

“The Pope said… that after his defeat, my brother surrendered to the Fell God, became her dog. His heart was corrupted, and he transformed from a human into a demon. I know it sounds insane, but…”

Her voice grew frantic. She turned, staring at the bound Milly.

The evidence was all there. The ability to wield Dawn. The identical fighting style. The demonic form. It all added up. The white-haired girl before her was her brother, who she thought was dead.

But she didn’t remember anything. The Fell God must have altered her mind.

“The Fell God changed your memories, that’s why you can’t remember anything, why you forgot me, right? Brother?”

It was the only possibility. If she could awaken his memories, maybe the Pope could purify her, turn her back into a human. Even if he was now a white-haired loli… as long as he was alive, that was all that mattered.

Hearing Tifna’s words, Milly was stunned into silence.

“Milly?”

She understood. She finally understood everything.

She had taken over Tifna’s brother’s body. She didn’t know why he had transformed into a girl, but she knew that from the moment she arrived, this was the body she had.

And the time of her arrival coincided with the moment his squad was wiped out. By Stacy, who Tifna called the Fell God.

The final boss… she had met her on day one.

And her awakened abilities weren’t a cheat. They were just his, reawakened. She was probably still far from his level.

And even if she reached it, what then? He had been easily defeated by Stacy. His entire squad, wiped out. Stacy had barely gotten her dress dirty.

The Fell God, Stacy.

Ahahaha… you have to smile when you play the game. Play my ass.

Hearing Milly’s sudden laughter, Tifna asked softly, “You remember, brother?”

“No… you probably won’t believe this, but this is your brother’s body. But I… I’m not him.”

The sound of bending iron. Even without seeing her face, Milly could imagine the expression in Tifna’s eyes.

“How… what do you mean, it’s his body, but not him? Milly, tell me, who are you? Who are you!”

With a crack, Tifna tore the cell door open and lunged in, slamming her fist against the wall behind Milly.

Her breathing was ragged. Her face was hidden, but it must have been a mask of despair.

She had been given hope, and now, Milly had to crush it with her own hands.

“Tifna, think about it. Besides our sparring, have you seen any other trace of your brother in me?”

“Even if my memories were sealed, my personality changed, some unconscious habits would remain. Have you seen any?”

“No… no… no…”

Tifna collapsed, as if all her strength had left her. She couldn’t find any. She couldn’t even lie to herself.

Milly wasn’t her brother. If it weren’t for her demonic identity, she would have continued to see her as a sister to protect.

“Tifna…”

Looking at Milly’s eyes, she understood. Her hope had been a fantasy. Milly wasn’t her brother. All the evidence that had given her hope now lay shattered before her.

“Milly…”

Tifna slowly stood up and unlocked the chains that bound her.

“Beyond the forest is the demon territory. They won’t harm you there.”

Her voice was back to normal, but then she slammed her fist against the wall again.

“The Pope has decided to execute you at noon tomorrow. So go, now. Before I change my mind. And run far away. Never come back!”

“Tifna…”

“Go!”

Milly stumbled out of the cell, leaving Tifna to collapse, weakly pounding the wall.

Milly wasn’t her brother. Her brother was gone forever. She had to accept it. Watching the white figure disappear, she knew this was probably the last time she would ever see her.

Tomorrow was her birthday. She had planned to spend it with Milly. But now…

Tears streamed from the slits of her helmet. The next time they met, they would be enemies. And she would kill Milly without hesitation.

“Goodbye, Milly.”

She would find the Pope. The reason she had held her sword—to protect someone important—was gone. Now, only revenge was left.

She would join the crusade against the Fell God. And she would kill her, to avenge her brother.