Sathya had held these words in for a very long time, and now she finally had the chance to say them.
Ever since the dormitory change, Sathya had been in despair.
She had sucked Big Sister Tina's blood and turned into an abyssal magical beast right in front of her. She had originally thought her life would change completely from then on.
She would keep Tina by her side and use her abilities to hypnotize her.
That way, Big Sister Tina would belong to her, forever...
And then, she would slowly destroy the world.
But she had still held back.
Because, surprisingly, Big Sister Tina had said she wasn't a monster.
That was right. There was no need to turn into a monster to control Big Sister Tina. Simply returning to their previous relationship would have been wonderful enough. She only wanted to be with Big Sister Tina, to love her, and to receive her love in return. Besides, Big Sister Tina had always cared about her. If she could reciprocate Big Sister Tina's kindness, would she be able to make her fall in love with her again?
But right after that, Big Sister Tina had pushed her away again.
Because, in truth, she had always known she was being unreasonable, and Tina had only ever put up with her selfishness in the past.
To prevent Big Sister Tina from becoming angry and despondent, Sathya had immediately gone to the dormitory manager, hoping to make amends and withdraw the transfer application.
But she never expected Tina to go there as well and immediately change dormitories.
Only then did Sathya realize she was wrong.
Big Sister Tina had already lost hope in her at that moment.
The countless years of conflict that followed were merely a microcosm of this single moment.
She was devastated, not knowing how to face Big Sister Tina.
Should she turn into a magical beast, kidnap her, lock her up, and make her her toy?
...No.
Sathya realized that things were not as simple as she had thought.
In the infirmary, Big Sister Tina had comforted her for a long time, even stroking her hair.
Even if Big Sister Tina hated her, she would never say such gentle words.
Her subsequent separation from her might have been out of reluctance, or perhaps she was just provoked.
Perhaps Tina herself didn't realize how sorrowful her eyes looked before she left. That kind of emotion and look could only be understood by those who had experienced it themselves.
Sathya had captured every single one of those fleeting emotions.
She had waited seventy-nine years; how could she give up in just a few days?
She wanted so badly to tie Big Sister Tina up.
She wanted so badly to wrap her tentacles around Big Sister Tina and pull her close...
But she didn't want to be hated.
Sathya said sweetly, “Big Sister Tina, you didn't even greet me in the cafeteria last time.”
Tina really had nothing to say. She didn't know how to hide her feelings, so she could only keep shaking her head.
She loved Sathya so much.
She wanted to rush forward, hug her, and tell her that this miraculous love transcended time and space.
She loved her daily chatter, the love she poured out every day, and how they would talk about everything in this world without any reservations.
It was too hard.
“Please let me go, Sathya,” she could only say in the end, her voice growing fainter.
Right now, she felt unsteady on her feet, swaying slightly.
Numerous noisy voices whispered in her ears, like countless sirens blaring at once, followed by a sharp ringing.
Tina had to admit that, this time, she had no idea how to answer.
Or rather, how to construct a flawless lie to deceive Sathya.
“Big Sister Tina, what's wrong?”
“Stop calling me Big Sister, okay?” Tina's breathing grew rapid, yet her voice was weak and powerless. “Stop looking at me with those eyes.”
Tina's legs gave out, and she crouched down, clutching her head.
When she came to, she realized Sathya was also crouching, looking at her face with concern:
“Are you feeling unwell? I'll stay with you. I'll stay with you forever, until Big Sister Tina recovers~”
Sathya stroked her face, just like before.
“I... don't need your concern.”
“I just don't want you to get hurt, Big Sister Tina. You're hiding something from me, aren't you? Can you tell me about it?”
“Enough!”
Tina immediately stood up and walked toward the campus station without looking back.
Sathya originally wanted to give chase, but Tina quickly vanished into the vast crowd.
...
Tina returned to her dormitory, panting heavily. After taking a shower, she lay down on her bed. She curled up, hugging her fair thighs, then let go, stretching her body out and pulling up the blanket. Yet she still tossed and turned, playing with her messy long hair.
She didn't feel like eating today either.
She began to reflect on her actions today, reaching her hand toward the ceiling.
A few minutes later, she remembered something and asked the empty air:
“System, tell me, what is Sathya's current condition?”
[Host, you are not by Sathya's side, so I cannot detect it.]
“...Have you changed?”
Tina remembered that the system used to explain any of her questions in a cold, mechanical female voice.
Now, it clearly possessed some emotion, as if she could picture an energetic girl playfully answering her questions.
[Host, you are too tense.]
“Perhaps... Tell me, how can I restore Sathya's magic core? You had me protect her before to fight against the abyssal magical beasts, right?”
A hint of gentleness flashed in Tina's eyes.
“Even if Sathya is the Demon King, I will protect her. I can betray humanity at any moment.”
“I said such horrible things to her, yet she still cares about me. Why? Why doesn't she just rush over and punish me... Why? I don't understand...”
Tina didn't understand.
[I follow your will, Host~ If you want to restore Sathya, you need to provide her with more nutrition. Humans are the best nutrition.]
Tina felt it was a bit strange.
Previously, the system would say things like, “If you do this, the world will be destroyed, please do not do this,” appearing completely righteous and standing entirely on the side of humanity.
Precisely because of this, Tina hadn't bothered to wake the system up, except to have it provide information about Sathya.
Since it now followed her will, things would be much more convenient.
“I won't go so far as to let her eat people directly. After all, I am a human myself.”
[As long as you are happy, Host.]
Although Tina really wanted to scold this playful system, she suddenly realized her mood had improved quite a bit. She was even slightly grateful to the system for keeping her company.
But then again, to allow Sathya's magic core to mature completely, she needed to replenish her with more nutrition.
If she attended the birthday party, she could find an opportunity to offer her blood to Sathya.
The last time had been somewhat of a failure.
If the monsterized Sathya could swallow her whole, the magic core would definitely recover completely.
But Sathya couldn't bring herself to do it; she had forced herself to restrain her impulses and only sucked a little blood.
At times, Tina even admired her own terrifying thoughts. She even began to wonder if her approach was a bit too extreme.
Had she been influenced by Sathya?
No...
I just love her. I did nothing wrong.
She deserves to live. She is the one I must protect.
I shouldn't feel guilty either. I should be even more resolute.
“System, do you think I'm the one in the wrong?”
[I do not understand what you mean, Host.]
“I mean, these thoughts of mine are still normal, right?”
[Host is very healthy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with your decision.]
“I see. It seems I was overthinking things.”
Tina smiled, continuing to mutter under her breath.
“Sathya, Little Ya, Little Ya...”
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