Chapter 180: You must call me older sister

“You don’t possess any combat ability. And you…”

Perletti’s gaze settled upon Elberna’s trembling arms as she gripped her sword with all her strength.

Her magic power had long since been exhausted. Even the arm holding the blade shook uncontrollably.

“In your current state, neither of you poses any threat to me.”

Those words were like the whisper of death itself, instantly dropping the temperature within the cramped cave to freezing point.

“Heh… and so what?!”

Elberna forced out a cold laugh through gritted teeth.

Though her body swayed from exhaustion and emotional collapse, she still straightened her back. Her eyes contained absolute resolve.

“Even if I die, I refuse to die kneeling like a stray dog!”

Before her words had even fully fallen, she let out a cry bordering on a scream.

Dragging her unbearably heavy body forward, gripping the sword with both hands, she launched herself toward Perletti in one final, desperate charge!

In Perletti’s eyes, however, it could hardly even be called a charge.

It was more like a moth flying into flame.

After witnessing countless comrades, loved ones, beliefs, and even her nation crumble apart before her eyes, this was merely the final resistance of someone trapped within absolute despair—a last howl of fury and unwillingness against her own powerless fate.

Perhaps Elberna had already completely lost hope for the future.

But even so—

At this moment, she still chose to face the end as a knight, clutching the broken sword in her hand.

Perletti did not even move her feet.

Only at the instant the longsword—carrying all of Elberna’s remaining will and strength—was about to touch her did Perletti slowly raise her right hand.

She did not dodge.

Instead, she directly reached out her bare palm toward the sharp blade.

Crack!

A crisp shattering sound echoed through the cave.

Under Elberna’s disbelieving gaze, the sword that had accompanied her through years of battle—the blade now radiating its final brilliance—was caught barehanded by Perletti.

Then Perletti’s fingers closed.

The steel-forged sword instantly shattered inch by inch like fragile glass.

Along with the broken blade, Elberna’s final strength also crumbled apart.

Unable to support herself any longer, her knees buckled.

Thud.

She crashed heavily onto the cold, damp stone floor.

She tried to prop herself up with both hands, but her trembling arms gave out almost immediately. Her forehead slammed against the rough ground as a beastlike growl escaped her throat.

“Damn it…”

All she could do now was watch helplessly as the white-haired figure—like a living nightmare—walked step by step toward the weakly breathing Josuna in the corner.

Perletti crouched beside Josuna.

She raised her hand, and soft platinum-white light once again gathered within her palm before slowly approaching Josuna’s wounded body.

“You monster!!”

Elberna exhausted the last of her strength to scream.

“You’re even going to kill your own sister?! Has becoming a witch devoured the very last shred of humanity you had left?!”

Her hoarse voice was filled with grief, fury, and condemnation.

She closed her eyes, almost unable to bear witnessing the inevitable spray of blood she expected to follow.

But the anticipated killing blow never came.

Instead, that warm platinum light gently enveloped Josuna’s entire body like the softest veil.

Wherever the light passed, the hideous open wounds visibly stopped bleeding and slowly began to close. Even the deathly pale color of her face recovered a faint trace of life.

Perletti carefully untied the blood-soaked strips of cloth wrapped around Josuna’s body, revealing wounds of varying depth beneath them.

Then she pulled out a white pleated robe from beneath her cloak.

Without hesitation, she tore it into several clean strips of fabric and skillfully began cleaning and re-bandaging Josuna’s injuries.

The scene unfolding before Elberna completely exceeded all expectations.

Her entire body froze.

It felt as though something had clogged her throat, leaving her unable to speak.

She had personally witnessed Perletti slaughter Ilene without expression.

She had seen her mercilessly wipe out the Harmonization Class and the Forbidden School.

Whether enemy or former ally, almost no one had been spared.

And yet this same executioner—

Was now saving a younger sister who should have been her enemy?

They weren’t even blood-related.

But the gentleness and care in Perletti’s movements did not seem fake in the slightest.

“…Brother…?”

As the warm light elements continued flowing into her body and her vitality gradually returned, Josuna’s long eyelashes trembled faintly before her eyes slowly opened.

Her blurry vision gradually focused.

The familiar face before her instantly shattered the emotional dam she had been holding back.

Tears silently streamed down her pale cheeks.

“Wuu… b-brother… I’m sorry… it’s all my fault… everything… was because of me…”

She choked out broken apologies.

Every word tugged painfully at both her physical wounds and the even deeper regret within her heart.

Tears mixed together with the dirt on her face, leaving wet trails behind.

Yet in the face of Josuna’s crying confession, Perletti’s reaction remained abnormally calm.

These explanations were too familiar.

Almost exactly the same as the Josuna she knew.

Both versions believed it had been their own negligence.

That they had failed to care enough about Perletti, ultimately causing her to face the tragic fate of losing everyone close to her.

Could it be…

That she was experiencing Qingcheng’s past?

For now, it was only speculation.

There still wasn’t enough evidence to confirm it.

Still, Perletti had to admit one thing:

If Josuna, as the Marquis’ heir, had consistently and openly stood behind Perletti, many things never would have happened.

But would she truly have become a witch…

Reached this point…

Because of something as simple as life and death?

If she had really been that fragile, she would have become a witch the moment her parents died.

Perletti’s hands never paused.

Keeping her eyes lowered as she focused on the bandaging, she interrupted Josuna’s sobbing with a voice so brief it was almost cold.

“Don’t speak.”

Josuna instantly fell silent.

Biting her lower lip tightly, she forcibly swallowed all the remaining sobs and words back down.

She turned her head aside, not daring to look at Perletti again.

Her throat bobbed violently as she struggled to suppress the storm of emotions within her.

Only her trembling shoulders revealed how unstable she truly was.

For a time, the cave sank into absolute silence.

Only the endless sound of waves crashing against the cliffs outside echoed rhythmically into the cave, making the strange and stagnant atmosphere inside feel even heavier.

Warm healing light quietly flowed through the dim cavern, illuminating Perletti’s expressionless profile, the tear stains on Josuna’s face, and Elberna’s utterly stunned expression.

The air itself seemed frozen.

Heavy, complicated, indescribable emotions silently fermented within it.

“Bro…”

Josuna called out carefully, her voice carrying a pleading tone.

Perletti tightened the final bandage firmly before letting out a quiet breath.

“Tell me.”

“What exactly are you blaming yourself for?”

“And…”

She finally lifted her eyes toward Josuna.

“Call me sister.”