Please Bully Me, Miss Villainess!

Chapter 108 : Never Letting Go Again

"Damn it—this unnatural wind is definitely not normal!!"

Ragon, who was selling watermelons at a stall on Fish Tail Street, removed the sunshade umbrella stuck in the ground. Before he could fully close it, he nearly got blown away with the umbrella by the strong wind, unable to hold back a curse.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly, using the umbrella stand as a cane for support, barely managing to withstand the hurricane-force winds.

As soon as he steadied his feet, Ragon shouted worriedly to his wife Sisi across the street:

"—Honey! Are you alright over there?!"

"Don't just stand there! Hurry up—if we're any later, we won't be able to get back!!"

"Coming, coming!"

After cleaning up the stall.

Rain clouds gradually gathered, an ominous shadow looming over Emerald Port.

This really isn't good...

Although it was already dark, the sky now was several shades darker than usual, like someone had spilled a bucket of dark ink on an already dark canvas.

Dark cloud masses like burnt, tattered cotton accumulated visibly in the sky, emitting rumbling sounds like the low growls of a beast.

Could it be a typhoon blown in from somewhere else?

Hmm... it doesn't look like that either...

This unprecedented storm omen was something even Ragon, a local sea dweller who had lived by the coast for over fifty years, had never seen before.

It was too abnormal.

The astrologers' reports for this week all predicted clear weather, didn't they?

Strange...

Those astrologer ladies' divinations are usually quite accurate.

I wonder if Aki is alright?

In this weather, Ragon couldn't help but worry about his son who worked on a ship.

Goddess, please bless that child!

Please, please don't let anything happen to him…

A father prayed sincerely in the rainy night.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

Woo—!

The warning siren sounded from the nearby dock.

This special fish horn could be heard from far away, its sound shrill and piercing, and prolonged.

It was the signal for emergency evacuation.

Hearing the signal, all the households on the street had already tightly closed their doors and windows.

But even so, the windows still rattled loudly in the wind,

Although it was still late summer, they made a chattering sound similar to teeth chattering in winter.

Splash—splash—splash!

The exposed rocks not far offshore were now swallowed by black seawater topped with white foam.

Although the rain hadn't fallen heavily yet, the tide had already risen abnormally. As if influenced by some special force,

"—Are there any boats left to be tied up??"

"—Just two more!!"

Not far away, the soaking wet sailors were frantically tying the ships together with ropes, rushing to complete emergency operations before the bigger storm hit, to prevent the Shipping Guild's vessels from being swept away by the rising waves.

"—Ah!!"

While moving between the ship's edges, this young sailor suddenly slipped and was about to fall off the side of the ship.

A force acted upon him, making him regain his balance.

"Are you alright?—Grab my hand!!"

After being pulled up by a companion on the same ship, Aki looked at the churning black water below the ship, feeling a lingering fear.

That was dangerous...

In such terrible weather, if one were swallowed by such turbulent seawater, even experienced sailors well-versed in swimming would likely face dire straits.

But... something felt a bit off?

Aki, having just escaped danger, belatedly noticed something strange.

Just now, besides his companion, it felt like a third hand had steadied him in the darkness.

"Quick, we need to move fast too—once this ship is tied up, we can pack up and go home!"

"Yes!!"

Choosing not to dwell on it further, the young sailor took the rough rope from his companion, gritted his teeth, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and pulled hard.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

With a force like venting frustration, the wind mixed with the rain.

Dense droplets pattered to the ground like bullets,

However, even at this level, it was probably just a prelude.

Standing at the top of the highest clock tower in Emerald Port, the black-robed witch blended perfectly into the dark chaos before the storm.

Although she stood in the wind and rain, not a drop of water touched her, as if she wore an invisible, intangible raincoat, completely dry.

...Has it already started to lose control?

The Witch Lady raised her head, gazing at the swirling dark clouds above her, centered on a certain point on the ground.

This abnormal shape was clearly caused by magical currents.

Terrifying, ominous—it was as if it would suck people in.

The dark clouds had formed a continuous sheet, now so pitch black, as if depicting the caster's mood.

"I didn't expect it to get this exaggerated, how should I put it?... As expected of 'me'?"

A wry smile tugged at her lips as the Witch Lady spoke in a somewhat self-mocking tone.

"It seems there was a reason heaven wanted me to stay. Well... I'll reluctantly serve as the final safeguard—"

The female protagonist of an otome game is a character born to realize love.

So... if she cannot be loved, she loses her value as a 'character'.

If she loses love, she cannot find happiness in her own route.

Just like in that story, even knowing one's actions are utterly foolish, the Tin Man still wanted to reclaim his heart.

Even such a willful self also yearns to be loved.

"Will I be able to save 'myself' this time too?... 'Dorothy'."

Within her field of vision, she spotted another person caught in crisis due to the sudden storm.

"Alright, alright, time to work—!"

Leaping down from the top of the clock tower, she raised her black cloak to cover her figure, disappearing like a raven melting into the night.

A world like a fairy tale where no one gets hurt—she would make it happen.

And what you need to do is reach her side.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

Her clothes were soaked through,

The feeling of them clinging to her body was unpleasant.

So heavy that Yvonne could barely move her legs.

But even someone as dense as herself could understand the current situation.

Above her head, the gray cloud layers swirled, gathering into a huge vortex.

Without a doubt, she was at the center of this storm.

The storm's momentum was growing stronger.

It's said that fluctuations in magical power can reflect the caster's state of mind to some extent.

It was hard to imagine the pain she must be enduring right now.

The source of her pain was none other than her own useless and cowardly self.

She had to find her.

Then apologize to her properly.

Be honest with her.

Tell her everything... everything she could think of.

Moving with difficulty, although she wanted to rush to her side as quickly as possible, the closer she got to the center of the vortex, the more violently the wind pressure threatened to knock her over.

Damn it...

Don't underestimate me!

With wind elements so dense right now, it actually gave her an opportunity.

If it's now, even someone with weak magic like herself could do it—

"Vortex wave in the stream—grant my body your power!"

The surrounding fluid propelled her forward against the headwind, her originally heavy body finally becoming lighter.

But at the same time, due to the excessive density of elements, the agitated wind elements around her body began to lose control.

Swish swish swish!

The sharp wind cut through her clothes, slicing into her flesh.

—!

Almost instantaneously, pain assaulted her from all directions.

It hurts—!

The pain was so intense it made her dizzy, as if her very nerves were being torn apart.

Being backlashed by her own magic really suited her villain character setting...

Before using elemental power, Yvonne was already clear about the price of such overconfidence.

With just her meager talent and mediocre affinity, she had no way to properly control so many wind elements at once.

But... this level is nothing!!

Blood flowed from her wounds, but was quickly washed away by the rain.

This degree... compared to the pain she was suffering, it wasn't worth mentioning at all!

Pushing aside the hair blocking her vision.

With the help of the wind force, Yvonne became even more determined in her resolve.

She planted her feet firmly and strode towards her direction.

Her love for her had long since surpassed pain.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

...Her chest hurt so much.

Experiencing the extreme pain as if her heart was being crushed, she finally regained her own consciousness.

...This is bad.

Realizing her current state, Elsa felt as if needles were pricking her back, unable to move.

At this moment, she was completely surrounded by black mist.

Careless for a moment, she had actually let the 'Nightmare' hidden in her body take over.

The magical power was still expanding, with a tendency to grow even stronger.

Elsa could hardly believe that such an enormous amount of magical power... had all been hidden within her own body?

The 'Nightmare' was just a catalyst.

What really caused this situation was that pretentious and affected self who selfishly felt sad and upset.

If this continued, this ordinary small town might face destruction.

No...

This mustn't happen—

Although she had previously thought irresponsible, despairing thoughts like 'the world might as well be destroyed', this outcome was absolutely not what Elsa intended.

This was where they had met anew, where everything truly began.

This was her place of belonging.

She couldn't bring herself to destroy it with her own hands!

Who...

Who could save her?!

"...Evie."

In the darkness, the girl sobbed helplessly, unconsciously calling out the name of the person she couldn't stop thinking about.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

She had to save this person.

There was no other thought in her mind besides this one.

Elsa looked at the scene before her in disbelief.

"...Why is Evie here?"

Like a dream, at the moment she wished for it, the person she longed for deeply in her heart appeared before her.

"Because you were calling me, weren't you?"

Finally... I made it in time.

Forcing a smile for her, her face was somewhat pale. For some reason, Yvonne's originally neat clothes were torn to shreds, looking in a very bad state.

Rather than herself, the current Yvonne might need more help—

After embracing her, the black mist that had been surrounding her was now eroding Yvonne's body.

"No! These things will...!! Qui-quickly let go of me!!"

Elsa cried out, trying to break free from this embrace, but she held on even tighter.

"Let those things do as they please!!"

"Bu-but—"

Biting her lip hard to hold back her sobs, but her body couldn't stop trembling.

"Give me half of your pain, okay? In whatever form, I absolutely... absolutely won't let you bear it alone anymore—"

It really felt like a dream...

No, was this truly not a dream?

"I thought... you must hate me now..."

Elsa said chokingly, tears and rainwater together soaking her chest.

"Idiot... how could I possibly hate you?"

Disregarding her own rain-soaked clothes, she embraced her anew.

Bringing her face close, she nuzzled her nose against hers like a small animal, expressing the love and intimacy in her heart.

"I was so worried..."

Her tired and hoarse voice, at such a close distance, mixed with the dampness of rainwater, the unique gentle scent belonging to her tickling her nostrils.

"Evie... Evie, Evie Evie... cough cough... Evie—"

Gazing at her with eyes on the verge of tears, her heart filled with indescribable trembling and overflowing emotions. This appearance of continuously calling her name, wanting to entrust her entire body to her, was truly endearing, constantly stirring Yvonne's protective instincts, making her want to hold her tightly in her arms.

"What you want to know... I'll tell you everything properly."

After embracing her, Yvonne whispered this promise in her ear.

"...Mm."

Elsa responded chokingly, the supreme joy and emotion throbbing in her chest becoming increasingly difficult to suppress as she returned her lover's embrace.

She grasped her powerless hand.

Unlike her own cold hand, hers was very warm, healing her cold heart.

After tightly holding hands, the body of her companion gradually leaned towards her, a soft sensation transmitting from her cheek. Just like this, they gently became one.

The heat flowing from her heart instantly spread throughout her entire body, injecting her with the vitality of life.

There was a strong feeling of being loved.

Just like the magical kiss in fairy tales, anxiety and curses were dispelled together.

The churning cloud layers stopped swirling.

The storm subsided, the rain gradually eased.

Peace and happiness descended anew.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

After the kiss, everything returned to normal.

"Have you calmed down?"

"...Hold me a little longer."

Sniffling, Elsa tightened her arms again, greedily savoring this real and tangible warmth transmitted from the other's body.

Incredible...

Just leaning on her like this, listening to her heartbeat, was enough to calm her down.

Above Emerald Port, the clouds dispersed. Except for the puddles on the ground and the lingering dampness in the air indicating that it had just rained here, everything seemed to have returned to normal.

Feeling the familiar flow of magic from her body, Elsa finally felt at ease.

...The aura of the 'Nightmare' had also disappeared.

It seemed this time, it was a victory for both of them.

"Achoo—!!"

However, after relaxing, her body belatedly let out a big sneeze.

"You've caught a cold after all..."

Yvonne showed a worried expression.

If they stayed all wet like this, both of them would fall sick, and then they wouldn't be able to take care of each other.

"It's getting late now, I think we should head back soon."

"...Go back?"

After repeating these two words blankly, Elsa seemed a bit dazed.

"—Of course, back to our home!"

Seeing her reaction, Yvonne suddenly became very flustered. Holding her hand, she began to explain:

"After we get home... first take a nice hot bath to warm up—Oh right, you haven't had dinner, you must be hungry now... I-I'll make you something delicious... anything you want, I'll make it for you..."

The more she spoke, the quieter her voice became. Her eyes moist, she looked up, gazing at her pleadingly like a child who had done something wrong.

"...I've been reflecting seriously. So... please don't be angry anymore, okay?"

Ah...

So she thought I was still angry?

Elsa hurried to refute:

"No, no, no—Evie didn't do anything wrong! Things turning out this way... it's all my fault!"

"It's clearly my fault! Why are you apologizing, Elsa?!"

"It's my fault!!"

As if competing for something, the two vied to claim the right to apologize to the other.

After arguing like this for a while, then, as if suddenly realizing something, they both burst out laughing.

"Pfft... what are we even doing..."

"We really are... like a couple of idiots."

After standing up, she extended her hand to her.

"Anyway, let's go home first."

"...Mm."

Grasping her hand anew, Elsa silently made a resolution:

From now on, she would never let go again.