Igola braced himself against the wall as he stood up, taking out bandages from his skirt-suit to wrap his hands. Not bothering to pay Yaxiu any mind, he walked straight into the hovercar.
Yaxiu suddenly remembered something and looked over at the Black Knight not far away. "That person..."
"That person from the agency is already dead."
Igola cast a glance at the trembling 'Lisi'. "Its flesh may still be alive, but the soul within has been extinguished... That's the diagnosis of a mind sorcerer. Believe it or not, as you wish."
Whether he believed it or not, he had no choice; the Black Knight possessed a blessing that absorbed all damage, leaving Yaxiu with no way to deliver a finishing blow anyway. He looked down at 'Lisi'. "Don't tell me you want me to carry you into the car?"
Diya looked up. "Can't you?"
Yaxiu said nothing, merely glancing down at his right hand.
Diya looked, and what she saw frightened her so much that she instantly hopped down. She reached out toward it but didn't dare touch—nearly every inch of Yaxiu's right hand was split and cracked open, his arm bone was even thrusting through the torn flesh, and the hilt of Honeyed Words and Daggered Heart was jammed directly into the crook of his thumb.
To buy as much time as possible for the 'Rushing Toward' miracle to take effect, and out of fear that he wouldn't be able to hold the sword steadily against the fierce momentum, Yaxiu had deliberately braced the hilt against his palm. But doing so meant the kinetic energy of the fall tore into his right arm first, more or less buying him 0.1 seconds of hang time in the air.
Whether that 0.1 seconds had actually made a difference was anyone's guess, but Yaxiu's hand was definitely ruined.
On a side note, Honeyed Words and Daggered Heart was completely fine, not bending even in the slightest. Yaxiu felt like his hand was the screen underneath a protective film—the protector was immaculate, while the screen beneath had shattered into dust.
Fortunately, Yaxiu had struck himself in advance with a 'Joy Sword,' or the pain would have knocked him unconscious long ago.
"That hand of yours will need six continuous hours of treatment," Banjie said as he hopped down from the hovercar. "I'll apply an emergency freezing treatment to it right now so it at least won't hinder your movement."
An elder in the family was like a treasure in the house. As a Two-Winged Sorcerer in his sixties, Banjie could produce an appropriate solution for any situation, and Yaxiu nodded to him with deep gratitude.
Though the young butler didn't say much, his movements as he treated Yaxiu were as gentle as possible. He seemed to have already forgiven Yaxiu for acting on his own earlier—chiefly because Yaxiu looked so wretched that Banjie couldn't bring himself to stay angry.
Diya did not disturb Yaxiu's treatment. Climbing into the back seat of the hovercar, she asked Igola, "Do you have a mirror?"
Igola gave Diya a cold glance, withdrew a hand mirror from his skirt-suit, and turned his head to look out at the night sky, so stingy that he refused to grant her a single word or even another look.
Diya didn't mind the Swindler's attitude at all, lowering her head to gaze at her reflection in the mirror.
"Lisi, before we switch back, I want to tell you—and everyone else—a story."
Lisi: "Huh? Right now?"
"Once upon a time, a naive and lovely princess lived in a high tower. She had stayed inside that high tower from the day she was born, never setting foot in the outside world for a single day. Everyone told her that the outside was filled with bad people, that living in the high tower was the coziest and safest place, and that the knights were guarding the princess. But the princess still longed for the outside world.
"One night, the princess heard strange noises outside. Looking through the window, she saw a Bronze Dragon coming to snatch her away. Trapped in the high tower, she had nowhere to run. Yet in her heart, the princess was overjoyed, because the Bronze Dragon had finally given her an excuse to leave. So she leapt out of the window.
"Whether she was carried away by the dragon or caught by a knight, either way, she could finally leave.
"Yet at the very moment she jumped, the princess suddenly remembered: the Bronze Dragon was merely an illusion born of her imagination, and the knights beneath the tower were only wardens sent by the witch. And the princess had truly jumped."
The Little Witch listened in rapt fascination, but the White Queen and the others found it quite strange.
In the fairy tales Diya had invented before, there had never been any role for a Bronze Dragon. The princess would simply jump down, be caught by a knight, and then they would run off together to begin a new adventure... The tone of the old fairy tales was always bright and uplifting, whereas this version Diya was telling drew far too much from reality, making it feel remarkably grim and negative.
"However.
"It just so happened that on this night, a thief had snuck into the witch's palace. He originally thought there were treasures in the high tower, only to witness the princess jumping down. So he jumped after her, caught the falling princess in his arms, grasped the silk thread hanging down from the sky, and swung out of the witch's palace, carrying away the witch's most precious treasure.
"The princess quietly observed the thief. Compared to the mighty Bronze Dragon, the heavily armed guards, and the terrifying witch, the thief was truly far too weak. But in the princess's heart, this thief who fell with her was the true knight, and she was willing to wander the world with him.
"Alright, I'm done. What do you all think of this story?"
The Black Butler, having endured it for so long, finally couldn't hold back: "Hold on! We were the ones who made Lisi deceive and latch onto Yaxiu in the first place! We took the initiative! Or did I misunderstand? Is the princess in this story Yaxiu, and we're the thieves?"
The White Queen chuckled. "Diya is even using the power of the time faction to rewrite the annals of history just to burnish her own glorious image."
Lisi suddenly realized: "Huh? The thief in Sister Diya's story is Daddy, and the princess is Sister Diya? Does that mean Sister Diya has fallen in love with Daddy?!"
The Red Apostle said placidly, "Diya, Yaxiu just saved us. Don't go repaying kindness with enmity like this."
Diya: "Wonderful, it seems everyone loves this new fairy tale. Thank you, sisters, for your support. I'll do my best to write the next chapter."
Black Butler: "Madness. Utter madness."
White Queen: "She's completely tuned us out."
Red Apostle: "Though Diya, the one in Yaxiu's eyes is Lisi, not you."
Lisi: "Yeah, yeah! Daddy likes me! The one he saved is me! Sister Diya, don't steal Daddy from me!"
"Between sisters, how could it be called stealing? It should be called sharing."
The sisters were left dumbfounded. But Diya quickly explained, "Just kidding. The Little Witch will continue to play the role of 'Lisi.' I won't steal the Little Witch's job.
"After all, 'Lisi' is just a little girl right now; it's useless to me anyway. However, once the Bronze Dragon trial ends and we turn back into 'Lisdia'..."
Black Butler: "Then the Little Witch will have to call you Mom?"
Lisi: "I don't want a stepmother right now..."
Diya: "You're all thinking way too far ahead. We'll set the matter of what to call each other aside for now. In short, once we change back, I get to be 'Lisdia.' As for the 'Witch' in the Void Realm, whoever wants to be her can have her."
Red Apostle: "Only setting it aside for now, is it..."
Black Butler: "Aren't your sisters enough for you? If you're feeling empty and lonely, you can just summon a few more sisters. Why do you care so much about that man..."
"Black, you're not thinking of being 'Lisdia' too, are you?"
"Bullshit, as if I would! I think you've gotten addicted to having your butt spanked!"
"You'd better not be," Diya huffed. "And Sister White, Sister Red, neither of you wants to either, right?"
White Queen: "Of course."
Red Apostle: "Not the slightest interest."
Diya said, "Then make an oath, all of you. Sisters don't lie to sisters."
White Queen: "Diya, you know me. The proud White Queen looks down on all men."
Red Apostle: "The Red Apostle, born for battle, has no need for romance."
Black Butler: "I wouldn't even let him lick my feet!"
Diya: "Then swear it! Sisters don't lie to sisters!"
White Queen: "Diya, you actually don't trust me? My heart aches so, little sister."
Red Apostle: "I was about to sacrifice myself for you just now, and you still want me to swear an oath?"
Black Butler: "Believe it or don't."
Now even Lisi could tell something was off.
"Daddy, my Daddy's going to be stolen away by my big sisters, waaah... Diya, give me my body back right now!"
"The Little Witch has entered her rebellious phase, daring to order her big sister around so rudely... Your punishment is that you have to wait a little longer before coming online."
Diya watched Yaxiu squeeze inside, cradling his frozen right hand, and she immediately wrapped her arms around his waist. Yaxiu hurriedly raised his right hand, which looked practically like a popsicle. "Go hug your Aunt Bogin! I'm covered in injuries right now, and my right hand is literally on ice. Aren't you cold?"
"Not cold at all. It's warm and cozy."
Once upon a time, Diya had actually envied the Sword Princess a little. She had envied how the Sword Princess had joined the team from the very start, envied her closer bond with the Watcher, envied how freely she could joke and banter with the Watcher, and envied how much more importance the Watcher placed on her.
Even if the Sword Princess tried her best to hide it, and even if the Watcher balanced the team's atmosphere to perfection, there were times when Diya still felt like she was the odd one out among the three of them.
Yet now, she would envy her no longer.
The Sword Princess would stand beside the Watcher, but the Witch had a knight to guard her too.
Chapter 357