Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 100: I Miss You So Much

Chapter 100: I Miss You So Much

Deep within the Starrealm.

Guderian Borgia coughed up fresh blood, mixed with shattered pieces of his internal organs.

Seven Soul Pacts had ruptured simultaneously, along with his vital organs. Even for a Legendary Beastmaster, this was a fatal wound, one that could easily strip away his life.

Right now, Borgia was barely holding on, relying solely on the powerful vitality he possessed as a plant-type Beastmaster.

However, even with such severe injuries, he didn’t dare stop to tend to his wounds. Instead, he continued to flee desperately through the Starrealm.

Isadella, as well as that unfamiliar Throne-Tier Beastmaster, had not pursued him into the Starrealm.

At first, this gave Borgia a slight sense of relief.

But then, he was horrified to discover that a Legendary undead creature had been lurking in this Starrealm all along.

It wasn’t a human Beastmaster—it was a Legendary-tier Bone Fiend…

And it was only a single step away from reaching the Throne Tier, already surpassing Borgia’s peak form.

What shocked him the most was that he could sense the aura of a Soul Pact on this Bone Fiend.

That’s right. A Legendary Bone Fiend, one step from the Throne Tier, worthy of the title "King of the Undead"—and yet, it was someone’s contracted beast.

Then what kind of existence was the Beastmaster who had signed a Soul Pact with this creature?

“Damn it, just how many unknown Legends have suddenly appeared on the Western Continent?”

Borgia’s face twisted with rage, all traces of his usual composed demeanor—like that of a serene gardener—were gone.

And who could blame him?

Since the end of the Cataclysmic Era, Legendary powerhouses had been the undisputed apex of the Western Continent. The number of active Legends could be counted on two hands, and each one was a figure capable of shaping the fate of an entire nation.

As for Throne-Tier powerhouses, they had long become little more than myths—centuries could pass without a single one appearing.

Given this backdrop, Guderian Borgia, as a seasoned Legendary who had once attempted to break through to the Throne Tier, had every right to be proud. In the entire Fresta Empire, there were only a handful of people qualified to play on the same chessboard as him.

His plan had been perfect.

Once the engagement banquet concluded, Isadella and the royal family’s prestige would plummet to rock bottom.

And with the ascension of his Rose Emperor to the Legendary Tier, the power balance of the Fresta Empire would inevitably tilt in favor of the old nobility.

But in a single night, everything had crumbled.

His carefully crafted scheme had collapsed. That was one thing.

But to make matters worse, two unknown Legendary figures had intervened—one of whom had already stepped into the Throne Tier.

If not for the countless life-saving relics and sacred artifacts he had accumulated as the head of the Borgia family—items he had spent without hesitation to survive his encounter with the Legendary Bone Fiend—he would have already become a cold corpse.

His gaze turned icy as he began plotting his next move.

Returning to the Empire was out of the question. Who knew how long those two unknown Legends would pursue him? In his current state, even encountering an opponent of the same tier would spell disaster.

That left him with only one option—the Lost Domain.

Though Borgia had past dealings with fugitives and cults from the Lost Domain, having even engaged in some mutual transactions… he also knew just how insane those lunatics could be.

Who knew if they would seize the chance to strike him while he was down?

But regardless, it was the only escape route left for him.

From the high and mighty head of the Crimson Rose family…

To a fugitive on the run.

All in a single night.

And it was all because of that boy—whom he had once regarded as nothing more than a pawn.

“Xia Ya Egut.”

A venomous curse escaped his throat.

“When I recover and find you, I will tear you apart, piece by—”

Borgia’s words stopped abruptly.

Because, in the next moment, he saw it.

The boundless, illusory sea of stars before him suddenly dimmed.

In its place, an endless night sky stretched out in absolute silence.

And then she appeared.

A woman clad in a dark, classical gown. Her layered attire was elegant yet simple, inlaid with scattered starlight, like the midnight sky itself.

Her figure was slender and languid, her face obscured by a hazy black veil. Though her true appearance was hidden, Borgia’s pupils contracted sharply.

For once, it wasn’t an unfamiliar Legendary figure he had never heard of.

He knew this woman.

Or rather, every single Legendary in the Western Continent knew her.

The leader of the Shadow Council—

The Queen of the Night.

“Augustina.”

Borgia’s voice was low.

“You foresaw that a battle between Legends would take place here, so you came to gather intelligence in advance?”

His tone steadied slightly.

“I’ll admit, the intelligence network of your Shadow Council is beyond our reach.”

“So, I need to buy some information.”

A cold glint flashed in Borgia’s eyes.

“I want precise details on that female Throne-Tier Beastmaster from earlier, as well as the Legendary Bone Fiend in the Starrealm—the one who attacked me—and the mastermind behind it.”

“In addition, I need Xia Ya Egut’s real-time coordinates and information on everyone close to him.”

But the next moment—

The only response he received was a lazy, husky voice.

“Apologies, Lord Borgia. Your account has been blacklisted.”

“…Blacklisted?” Borgia repeated, puzzled by the unfamiliar term.

It took him a moment to process the meaning from Augustina’s tone. He frowned slightly.

“You’re worried I can’t afford the price of an ‘Angel of the Dead Omen’-level intelligence report?”

“True, I can’t return to the Empire for now, but as the head of my family, I still carry more than enough wealth, relics, and jewels on me.”

“That’s not the reason.”

Augustina’s voice paused for a beat.

“If I had to give one… it’s because you’ve offended one of our VIP clients.”

Borgia’s heart sank as he listened to her casual, dismissive tone.

He still didn’t understand what "VIP" meant.

But with the intelligence and analytical abilities of a Legendary, how could he not grasp the hidden implication behind Augustina’s words?

…But how was that possible?

The absolute neutrality upheld by the Shadow Council was an iron rule of the Western Continent’s Transcendent world.

This organization had no taboos, nor did it concern itself with mundane moral standards or public opinion.

As long as the price was right, even information as absurd as “what color underwear a Cardinal of the Holy Theocracy wore today” could be sold without hesitation—always guaranteed to be genuine.

And as if reading his thoughts, the veiled woman extended a single, pale, delicate finger.

“The Shadow Council was never a neutral organization.”

“What you all believe to be absolute neutrality…”

“…was simply because I never cared.”

Her husky voice echoed through the illusory night of the Starrealm.

"But—"

"I'm really not happy today."

As that husky voice rang out amidst the sudden surge of overwhelming fear, Guderian instantly activated a sacred relic.

As the head of the Borgia family, he cherished his life more than anyone. He carried an array of extremely rare relics, some of which could even turn the tide in a battle between Legends.

But it was useless.

Guderian watched in horror as the relic in his hand, which had already been activated, suddenly dimmed… then vanished.

Then, it was his right hand.

Disappearing—centimeter by centimeter—rapidly spreading upward toward the rest of his body, unstoppable.

A flicker of shock flashed through Guderian's eyes. "You too—"

The words of the Borgia family head were abruptly cut off.

In the next instant, his form—his flesh, his very outline—was erased as if a mere pencil sketch wiped away by an eraser.

Then, the being once known as Guderian Borgia vanished into the night, leaving no trace behind.

At the heart of the night sky, the veiled woman merely withdrew her pale, slender finger, never once sparing a glance at the space where Guderian had been erased.

As if the one obliterated by the darkness was not a Legendary Beastmaster who had once attempted to ascend to the Throne Tier… but just a trivial insect.

Her gaze, dark as the night, pierced through the hazy veil, falling toward a certain place beyond the Starrealm.

A long silence.

Then, Augustina let out a soft sigh.

A sigh that carried the crispness of a young girl’s voice, yet also a hoarseness, as if it had traveled through the ages.

"How fortunate."

"Little runaway girl…"

The Material Plane.

Imperial Capital, Camelot.

The Hall of Oaths.

Xia Ya had no way of knowing what had transpired in the depths of the Starrealm.

Or rather, even if he did, he wouldn’t have had the presence of mind to care.

The grand hall was silent.

Only the silver-haired, silver-eyed girl remained in the fading glow of twilight.

And that voice, heard only by Xia Ya, echoing from the depths of his mind—

"Brother Xia Ya, long time no see."

Xia Ya had to admit—his mind was going numb.

The banquet had been filled with ups and downs, but overall, it had still played out within his expectations and plans.

Only this final development was completely beyond anything he had anticipated.

Ever since emerging from the Historical Echo of the Cangting Principality, Xia Ya had pieced together clues and confirmed his theory—

What he had experienced was not merely a shadow of the past. It was real history.

And the Legendary figure recorded in ancient texts, the one who founded the White Tower under the name of The Argent Witch, was the very girl he had encountered in that echo.

However—

In the real world, the Tower Master of the White Tower had been missing for five hundred years, with no trace left behind.

Even Xia Ya hadn’t expected that the Argent Witch, who should have long since faded into history, would suddenly appear before him.

And she was far stronger than he had imagined.

Guderian Borgia, a veteran Legendary, had been utterly crushed in just two Words of Power.

But that wasn't even the biggest issue.

The real issue was—

Based on his experience in the Historical Echo, Sylvia should still remember how he had stabbed her in the back.

Yet, as Xia Ya stiffened, Sylvia gave him no chance to breathe.

"You're not allowed to pretend you have amnesia or act confused like you don't know me."

"I've secretly investigated all the public records about you in the Imperial Capital, and I witnessed everything that happened at the banquet firsthand."

"Silver, Shiny… and that species—the Silver Spirit, a guardian beast exclusive to the Branstat family, which supposedly no longer exists in this world."

"If it were just a coincidence of looks and names, one might explain it away with something like reincarnation. But even your summoned beast is exactly the same. There’s no room for argument."

"And I know you, Brother Xia Ya.

"You're not the type to ignore so many clues and stubbornly insist it’s all just coincidence. You wouldn’t deceive yourself with a flimsy excuse that even you wouldn’t believe."

The voice, crisp as a wind chime, whispered in Xia Ya’s ear—words that only he could hear.

The cold indifference once veiling Sylvia’s argent eyes had faded.

She stepped toward Xia Ya, each stride bringing those silver-blue irises closer, clearer, brighter.

But then, she suddenly stopped.

Because Ailora had stepped in front of Xia Ya, looking at Sylvia with mild confusion.

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Ailora hadn't heard Sylvia’s telepathic voice, and Xia Ya had never told her anything about the Historical Echo. Naturally, she had no idea what kind of connection they shared.

But one thing was clear—

The silver-haired, silver-eyed girl was not an enemy.

There was no trace of hostility in Sylvia’s aura. If she had truly meant harm, she wouldn’t have personally slain the Legendary-tier Rose Empress earlier.

Still, Ailora remained standing in front of Xia Ya.

Because, with their shared understanding, she could clearly sense his awkwardness and hesitation.

The last time he had acted like this… was the time she caught him secretly using a magitech communicator to call the Theocracy in the middle of the night.

"It's fine, Ailora."

Xia Ya sighed, pulling the golden-haired girl behind him.

"Sylvia, let me explain. I had my reasons for doing what I did back then…"

But before he could finish, the silver-haired witch simply nodded obediently.

And once again, that wind-chime-like voice echoed in his mind.

"Of course, I understand that Brother Xia Ya had his reasons. It was for my own good."

"Brother Xia Ya came from the Historical Echo into this world. You couldn’t stay with me until the end… If you hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have escaped that night in Cangting Royal City.

"I wouldn’t have survived the chaos of the Cataclysmic Era with a naïve girl’s personality."

"Maybe I couldn’t understand it back then. But looking back now… I can piece together the bigger picture."

Sylvia stopped a few steps away, gazing straight into Xia Ya’s eyes.

"But even so… I can’t forget that night."

"I can’t forget the twilight over the Morning Star Hills, the sea of Night Orchids."

"I closed my eyes, filled with joy, only to be met with a blade through my chest."

"That pain haunted me, night after night. It drove me to grow stronger. Even after five hundred years, I never forgot it."

"I searched for you everywhere, across every corner of the Western Continent. But I never found a trace of you.

"Over time… it became an obsession."

"So, Brother Xia Ya… you owe me compensation."

Xia Ya let out a wry laugh.

If he was honest, he had indeed betrayed the heart of an innocent girl back then.

A blade through the chest.

Countless nights haunted by nightmares.

A five-hundred-year obsession—

That wasn’t something that could be dismissed as a simple misunderstanding. "It was for your own good" wasn’t an excuse that could erase it.

"What kind of compensation?"

Sylvia tilted her head in thought, then smiled faintly.

"Brother Xia Ya, can I ask you to close your eyes first?"

Her voice carried a hint of playful mischief.

"I have something very important to tell you."

"Like… how admiration is the furthest emotion from understanding."

A reenactment of an iconic scene? A taste of my own medicine? An eye for an eye?

Xia Ya couldn’t help but groan internally.

But in the end… he still closed his eyes.

He had no choice.

That innocent girl who once called him Brother Xia Ya with bright eyes and a soft voice was long gone.

Before him now stood a Legendary Beastmaster, the unparalleled Argent Witch.

And the blade he had thrust all those years ago… had finally come back to him.

But just as Xia Ya braced himself—

A warm, soft sensation brushed against his lips.

…