CHAPTER 64: KISS, FOR PAST AND PRESENT

Wrath’s lips parted in the silent night, as Mel’s sincere request pried open her mask of indifference.

Her grip on her katana loosened, her cheek leaning more towards Mel’s caring touch.

She has missed this warmth just as the Saintess did.

"What will those words amount to?" Wrath uttered. "A confession of what I feel? Or a testament to my resolve?"

Mel’s gleaming eyes met Wrath’s dim grey gaze. It was as if her sincerity could not sway her stubbornness.

Yet the Witch of Lust’s smile deepened, her voice barely a whisper. "There’s nothing deep to it, Wrath."

Mel slowly pulled herself towards Wrath, her movements deliberate and gentle.

Her lavender witch hat slipped to the side as she leaned in, their noses nuzzling against each other, with Mel’s palm firmly pressing against Wrath’s cheek.

She murmured. "How you feel. How you hesitate. Please set them aside for my tiny request, just this once."

A small gasp escaped Wrath’s lips. Mel’s tenderness was too soft and gentle, like a pool so deep and calm that one step would drown her, pulling her back to where she should belong.

She trembled beneath Mel’s touch, their hair interwining: Grey with pink, past against present.

Wrath glanced away, her cheeks flushing a little more than usual. "You should’ve...kept your distance."

"Really? But I don’t feel you’re repulsed by it?" Mel chuckled. "What of me do you truly reject? My curiosity? My intimacy? Or..."

The Witch of Lust closed the distance again, their lips almost touching. "My desire for you?"

Mel admitted to herself that she was never a dramatic person.

Once again, the Witch of Lust’s simplicity amounted to nothing but Harem, save the world, kisses, and hugs.

Plots laced with depthful ambition had never been her territory. And words disguised without sincerity were never hers to begin with.

So, she asked once again. "Three simple words, Wrath."

Wrath’s breath hitched in her throat. Mel’s request was a siren call, drawing her back to a whirlpool of emotions.

As if relinquishing the final string, her hand wrapped around Mel’s waist.

Their gazes still locked at each other, their lips threatening to press in with a simple lean forward.

Her breaths shuddered as she spoke. "I’ve been avoiding you, Mel."

Wrath would admit she was no longer the warrior she once was, especially in matters of love.

"There’s something I did that I would never truly forgive myself for."

She tilted her head slightly, her eyes squinting like Mel’s.

"But in the end, I wish to be that protector once more."

Their hot breaths mingled with each other, her dimmed grey eyes finally gleaming with hope.

"The protector... that was once cherished."

Mel was caught in Wrath’s softened gaze, their unspoken history melting into something vulnerable.

Her palm slid gently to the back of Wrath’s head, fingers threading into her hair beneath her hood.

Wrath, for the first time, finally smiled as she confessed. Perhaps her guilt. Perhaps her desire is just like Mel’s.

"I love you, Mel."

With no more words between them, their lips met.

It was a gentle yet passionate exchange, their mouths biting into each other with ferventness.

Mel didn’t know what came over her, or rather, she couldn’t quite understand it.

Still, she now knew that Wrath’s lips tasted of burnt ashes, yet were tinged with a refreshing hint of mint.

She eventually whimpered into Wrath’s kiss, her clutch over her hair tightening.

Then, with a clank, they paused.

Mel’s eyes, filled with a mix of regret and frustration, flicked down to the katana that had slipped from Wrath’s grasp.

Pouting, the Witch of Lust muttered, "Too nervous?"

Yet as if unaware of her frustration, Wrath’s expression froze.

She pulled back against Mel’s grasp before touching her lips.

However, her hazy mind failed to fully register the taste of her kiss. She was too immersed, longing for Mel’s touch, like in the distant past, before her entrapment in the Dimensional Rift.

Wrath hung her head to calm herself, then kneeled to pick up her katana.

"In one more day, after tonight, the cult will strike."

She declared this as she turned her back on Mel. Though her cheeks didn’t show it, she knew she was blushing fiercely inside.

Wrath prided herself on being a resolute warrior. For that reason, she refused to let Mel see her blush. Not now, not ever!

She retook a deep breath. "You must awaken Envy before then."

Hearing the usual amused hum from behind, she strolled away from Mel, steps quicker than normal as if to escape.

The Witch of Lust giggled, knowing full well how flustered Wrath was. Just as her tease almost came out, Wrath stopped in her tracks.

Wrath’s resolute voice echoed in Mel’s ears. "This time, I will protect you up close. I promise."

Mel’s eyes fixed on her. Despite the back that seemed closer than ever, Wrath’s mystique still pulled her in.

With a slight grin, her light steps drifted towards Wrath. "Is it now? I fully look forward to it."

Mel stopped before her hand stretched, prying open the hood slightly.

She almost laughed again upon the revealed, reddened ear, but chose to hold back as she leaned in.

Pecking at the ear, she whispered against it. "Next time, try to kiss me without me asking."

The kiss surprised Mel, but she wished Wrath would plead for it next time, instead of her having to initiate.

Wrath glanced over her shoulder. Mel’s eyes were as she remembered: Perverted, mischievous, yet tender with a hint of warmth.

She let out a defeated sigh. "Maybe I should rather avoid you for any accident."

"Oh. That can’t be!" Mel held her lips, feigning sadness. "You should’ve taken responsibility. I also count you as a lover now, you know?"

The familiar banter echoed in Wrath’s mind as she waved her hand, walking off into the distance.

"Sure, Mel."

The Witch of Lust’s golden eyes watched as Wrath’s back disappeared into where the moonlight didn’t reach, before letting out a relieved chuckle.

Master, Ed just received a clue about the Cultists’ plots... Master?

Oh. Nyxia.

Listening to Nyxia’s telepathy in her mind, Mel turned her back to the night as she walked away, her hand reaching up to reel back her Witch hat and brush off the dust.

Sorry. Continue the report?

She looked forward to their next meeting, truly.

Mel made a silent prayer in her heart.

Unbeknownst to her, a certain Saintess watched the scene with a furrowed brow.

Though Wrath reunited with Mel, the Saintess only clasped her hands tighter in worry.

It is not my place to judge, but to watch over Mel, she reminded herself, just as she had decided long ago.

Glancing at the Goddess statue before her, the Saintess closed her eyes again.

May Wrath’s wish to protect Mel be respected... just as mine will be, forever.