Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 99: Brother Xia Ya, Long Time No See

"You bastard! You dare kill Lir?!"

Guderian’s furious roar exploded within the Hall of Oaths.

An overwhelming aura erupted in an instant, shattering every door and window in the hall.

Countless glass shards splintered into the air, reflecting flickering points of light.

To any Transcendent faction, a Titled-tier powerhouse was an irreplaceable pillar, a true cornerstone of strength.

Even for a family as vast as the Borgia Family, the loss of a Six-Ring Beastmaster was devastating.

And more than that—

Lir had been loyal to the family for decades, working tirelessly, without complaint.

But at that moment—

A cold, indifferent female voice rang through the hall.

"A mere servant dares to lay a hand on the one I favor?"

"His crime was worthy of death."

"So he was killed. That is all."

As Isadella’s words echoed,

Everyone saw it.

A sword appeared in the night sky—

A radiant, golden holy blade.

It was not an illusion, nor a mere phantom construct.

This was a true sword of legend, manifesting amidst the roaring winds—

The Golden Sword, blazing with a thousand lights, illuminating the darkened heavens.

In the presence of this piercing radiance,

Every guest in the hall fell silent.

This was the Holy Sword of the Knight-King—

The blade that, in the ages before the Sacred Calendar, had shattered a world of darkness deeper than the night.

Even now, though loyalties had shifted,

Most of the guests present were still subjects of the Fresta Empire.

And in a distant past—

Their ancestors had once gathered beneath this sword’s radiance, carving out new frontiers for the Empire.

"The First Emperor’s Holy Sword…"

"Has it truly… chosen a new master?"

Someone murmured—only to find themselves at a loss for words.

What should have been a simple engagement banquet

Had spiraled into an unprecedented political earthquake.

First—

The truth of Ceylan’s downfall had been revealed.

Then—

A Titled-tier Beastmaster had been killed on the spot.

And now—

Even the Holy Sword, sealed within the Imperial Family for centuries,

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Had awakened—

And chosen Second Imperial Princess Isadella as its new master.

In comparison—

The annulment of the Borgia Family’s marriage contract seemed utterly insignificant.

Above the Night Sky.

The target of the Holy Sword’s radiance—

Was an elderly man, standing like a humble gardener amidst the gathering.

Emerald leaves and blossoms drifted around him, floating gently through the air—

A stark contrast to Isadella, who now wielded the Golden Sword of Kings.

Guderian’s sigh carried through the night air.

"To think, Your Highness would truly unleash the Holy Sword’s True Name…"

His voice was filled with regret.

"But still… Lir served the Borgia Family loyally for decades."

"He may not have been a great hero, but his service was unwavering."

"I must give my people an answer."

His emerald eyes locked onto Xia Ya.

"Xia Ya Egut."

"Your life will end tonight."

In the next instant—

A crimson rose descended from the sky.

Drifting softly—

Then plummeting straight toward Xia Ya.

There was no grand eruption of power,

No overwhelming energy surge.

But—

When people saw what lay within the rose—

Their hearts froze.

Because—

Within that crimson bloom,

A crowned figure stood—shrouded in verdant green.

And every single person present knew exactly what it meant.

A Legendary being.

No—

To call it "Legendary" was not entirely accurate.

Because this was not a Beastmaster.

This was a Summoned Beast.

A Plant-type Summoned Beast of the Legend-tier—

"Rose Emperor."

For humans—

Legend-tier was an impossible chasm.

The Path of Legends was never replicable.

Each Legend-tier being was a unique miracle, forged in its own way.

For Summoned Beasts—

The Legend-tier was the same insurmountable abyss.

Most Legendary Beastmasters did not actually wield Legend-tier beasts—

Instead, they relied on seven Imperial-tier Summoned Beasts, fusing their combined strength to attain Legend-tier status.

But now—

Guderian Borgia, already a Legendary Beastmaster,

Had secretly cultivated a true Legend-tier Summoned Beast.

This was far more terrifying than the Borgia Family producing another Legendary Beastmaster.

A Legendary Beastmaster was just an addition of numbers.

But a Legendary Beastmaster paired with a Legend-tier Summoned Beast?

That was a force multiplier, far beyond simple addition.

Isadella’s grip on the Holy Sword tightened,

Its radiance blazing even brighter—shining against the blackened sky.

But—

At the same time,

Guderian’s emerald aura erupted—

Standing as an equal to the Holy Sword’s brilliance.

"Give up, Your Highness."

"You have not yet crossed the final threshold."

"Even with the Holy Sword’s True Name unleashed—"

"I can still hold you off, even at the cost of injury."

His words were cold, ruthless.

"You should consider yourself lucky, Princess."

"This was meant for you—"

"And that ancient monster in the palace."

"Instead, it will be used on that Fourth-Ring insect."

But the moment he spoke—

He saw something unexpected.

Isadella did not react with rage, shock, or despair.

Instead—

In her crimson-red eyes,

Guderian saw something strange.

Not fear.

Not panic.

But—

Pity.

The Rose Descends.

The rose petals fell.

Beautiful.

Ethereal.

Deadly.

Erasing all life in their path.

The moment the Legendary Rose Emperor appeared,

Everyone in the hall believed Xia Ya was already dead.

The difference of a single tier meant nothing—

Because the gap between Titled-tier and Legend-tier was absolute.

The former was still mortal.

The latter had transcended humanity—

Standing at the edge of divinity itself.

Countless examples existed of people using artifacts, potions, or traps to defeat foes far above their rank.

After all—

This was the real world, not a game with rigid stats.

People could be killed, even if they were Titled-tier Beastmasters.

But—

Not against Legends.

Only Legends could fight Legends.

That was the iron rule of the Western Continent’s Transcendent World.

And with Isadella occupied—

With the Imperial Family’s other Legend still in the palace—

Who here could stop the Rose Emperor?

Watching the falling rose,

Many guests hurriedly backed away,

Fearing the aftermath of a Legend-tier attack.

But—

Ailora did not move.

Her knight’s lance burned brighter.

Even though she knew it was futile.

Even if Rhongomyniad had awakened slightly more, it was not enough.

Still—

She stood before Xia Ya.

Facing the cold grip of death itself.

Because to her—

Xia Ya wasn't just her "pretty girl."

To her—

Xia Ya was her boy.

Her one and only love.

And so, she would keep their promise.

Even—

If it cost her life.

"Hold on tight, Little Ai."

A soft whisper reached Ailora’s ears.

Xia Ya’s calm voice, transmitted directly to her.

Though he had arranged in advance to contact Hathaway, his nature would never allow him to place all his hopes on Isadella, nor on the Legend-tier Bone Wraith, "Little Death," whom his teacher had sent.

God’s Rejection had cost him fifteen Sands of Time.

And the rest—

Was his prepared escape route.

A contingency even against a Legendary opponent.

Ailora did not respond.

She only tightened her grip around Xia Ya’s hand.

But just as Xia Ya was about to activate the life-saving artifact he had spent fifteen Sands of Time on—

The world froze.

Everything—

The descending Rose Emperor,

The gathering nobles, their faces filled with shock or sorrow,

Even the Titled-tier Beastmasters watching in grim anticipation—

All of it.

Stopped.

Suspended within the solidified dusk.

A silent world.

Only one figure remained unaffected—

A girl, standing at the heart of twilight.

Bathed in the golden horizon’s glow,

She stood with her back to Xia Ya.

A dark-colored knee-length dress draped over her slender form,

And her pure silver hair cascaded down, resting gently against her shoulders.

Then—

She lifted her gaze.

Her eyes met the crowned green figure suspended in the air—

The Legend-tier Rose Emperor.

A clear, melodic voice echoed in the motionless world.

A language ancient as time itself—

Though Xia Ya had never heard it before,

He understood its meaning.

The word meant: "Death."

The giant rose suspended midair stiffened.

The once vibrant foliage turned yellow—

Withering, decaying, crumbling into dust.

The frozen dusk shattered—

A gentle breeze swept through the remains.

And just like that—

The Legend-tier Rose Emperor disintegrated into countless golden specks,

Vanishing into nothingness.

Above the distant sky.

Guderian’s face turned deathly pale.

He spat out two mouthfuls of blood.

It was not an illusion.

It was not deception.

At that moment,

He had felt his Seventh Soul Pact shatter—irreparable, gone forever.

But—

Guderian had no time to grieve his fallen Summoned Beast.

Because for the first time,

His fear was no longer of Xia Ya or Isadella.

His fear was of the girl below.

His voice trembled in raw terror—

"A Throne-tier…!"

For the first time that night,

Guderian lost control of his composure.

Because as terrifying as Legend-tier was—

This was something beyond even that.

Legend-tier was often considered the highest level humanity could reach.

That much was true.

But—

A fresh Legendary Beastmaster and one who had lived for centuries were not equals.

This was a realm beyond common comprehension.

Many believed that beyond the Legend-tier, the only path left was godhood—

One had to accumulate divinity, transform into a mythical being,

Become a Demi-God, a False God, or even a True God.

But—

In this era, where gods had withered and the path to ascension was severed,

Some had chosen a different way—

Carving their own paths through the endless abyss.

And only those who had surpassed the ordinary Legend-tier,

Who stood at the apex,

Had the right to claim a Throne.

Guderian had once attempted to break through the Throne-tier,

When the Rose Emperor had first ascended to Legend-tier,

Empowered by the massive feedback from their Soul Pact.

He had failed miserably.

But in that failure—

He had caught a glimpse of what lay beyond the threshold.

That was why he had worked so ruthlessly,

Why he had orchestrated the suppression of Isadella and her faction.

Because he knew—

If Isadella ever took that final step,

If a Throne-tier Beastmaster were to be born—

It would mean the birth of a force capable of rivaling Demi-Gods.

Every Throne-tier Beastmaster was an unparalleled force,

One that dominated entire eras.

But now—

A true Throne-tier stood before him.

All thoughts of revenge, retaliation—vanished.

Panic overwhelmed him.

His body turned illusory, preparing to flee into the Starrealm.

Even if Isadella’s Holy Sword severed his arm,

He no longer cared.

But—

The rippling energy of his escape

Had caught the attention of the girl below.

She—

A girl in a pretty dress,

Looked like a mere child.

But at this moment—

She was nothing short of a sovereign ruler.

She lifted her gaze—

Those pure silver eyes pierced through the veil of the world,

Locking onto Guderian,

Even as he entered the Starrealm.

And then—

In that same metallic, ancient voice—

She spoke once more.

The same word as before.

"Death."

Though separated by the Starrealm’s barriers,

The ancient incantation still reached him.

Blood spilled from his lips once more.

His first through sixth Soul Pacts shattered instantly—

The six peak Imperial-tier Beasts bound to him perished in their sleep,

Their lives stripped away without a sound.

And Guderian’s internal organs ruptured at once.

If not for the plant-based enhancements of his Soul Pacts—

If not for his extraordinary vitality—

He would have died instantly.

Without a single moment’s hesitation,

Guderian fled deeper into the Starrealm,

Not daring to linger even a second longer.

Below, the girl of twilight slowly raised a pale hand—

As if considering pursuing him.

But then—

Her silver eyes flickered.

And she lowered her hand.

A hush fell over the world.

Only the crisp sound of red heels tapping against the floor remained.

The ruler of dusk,

The witch who had just erased a Legendary Summoned Beast with a mere whisper,

Walked forward with light, unhurried steps.

Then—

She stopped before Xia Ya.

For the first time,

Xia Ya got a clear look at the girl who had suddenly appeared.

Her knee-length dress flowed like layered lotus petals.

A small white round hat adorned her head.

On her feet—

Red high heels.

Her silver hair, pinned into an elegant updo,

Revealed the graceful curve of her snow-white neck.

The amethyst hairpin at her temple shimmered under the twilight glow.

Xia Ya knew this outfit well.

Because not long ago—

He had personally driven a blade through this very girl’s chest.

Argent-blue eyes met pitch-black ones.

A voice, soft as a wind chime on a quiet night,

Reached his ears.

A voice he had last heard on the cliffside of the Grandet Sea,

Where they had once sat around a campfire,

Eating grilled fish, exchanging idle conversation.

A voice he hadn’t heard since—

Since she had stopped speaking altogether.

But now—

She spoke.

"Brother Xia Ya, long time no see."