City ​​of Witches 401

Chapter 401 – #86_Ball(8)

#399

1.
-Kugugugugung!

The clash began with a shockwave.
Like two entwined dragons, a red spear and a black night sky intertwined in the air.
The collision of a concentrated space and a rampant distortion field produced a bizarre result.

The colors of the world disappear.
All that exists is black or white.

In between, seawater defying gravity became large and small droplets, floating as if in a zero-gravity space.
The very slow spread of white light refracted through the scattered water droplets like jewels, transforming into seven colors.
Even the axis of gravity is strangely twisted.

A phenomenon occasionally caused by intense magical storms.

Randomization of space.
The massive impact of the collision with the distortion field had even twisted the natural phenomena within the barrier.

Bianca thought.
There was still magic left.
If she wanted to fight, she could fight more.

But this place was already an outer realm.
In an unobservable point where even the basic common sense that water falls from above to below was denied, using magic was akin to suicide.

A simple spell to light a fire might go awry and burn her whole body.
A simple act of firing a mana cannon might return due to the refracted space.
The nature of a defensive barrier deployed forward might be twisted and turn into a self-harming spell.

At least until this distortion subsided, even moving a finger required the utmost caution.

And Bianca saw.
Two different forces perfectly neutralized, like a candle being extinguished.

In the eerie silence and black and white.
A suit of armor, bathed in golden mana reflection like dawn, soared into the air.

Its destination was the witch it recognized as an enemy.
Pure passion made him forget even the fear of death.

Neither the bizarre phenomenon he had never seen before, nor the twisting of the gravity axis pulling at his body from all directions.
They could not stop his battered steps.

Some sought to preserve their lives in the unending battle.
Some took a step disregarding their lives in the face of an unknown threat.
The crossroads of victory and defeat were, ridiculously, decided not by the achievement of magic, but by mindset.

“Oh, dear.”

Before the sigh could even finish, the two people crossed paths.
With wings severed by a flashing spear, Bianca fluttered left and right like a falling feather, sinking down.

2.
Shin Siwoo checked his internal state.
He was in a state where he was not only affected by the distortion field but also soaked to the marrow.

His entire body’s energy was depleted, and it was difficult to squeeze out even a single drop of mana.
Repeatedly using amplification for mana charging was also impossible with his tattered circuits.

Then there was only one way.
A delicious prey that would open a new horizon of magic was right in front of him.
He would steal the magic of the witch in front of him and amplify his mana from there.

“A-amazing…”

Bianca, floating on the broken sea, no longer had the energy to resist.
Having been beaten without even the shield of Vitage, she was in a state where she literally couldn’t move a finger.

One unexpected thing was that Shin Siwoo, who had cut off Icarus’s wings at the last moment, did not immediately take her life.
Seeing Shin Siwoo walking on the sea as if walking on flat ground, Bianca realized.

“You’re going to steal my magic too?”

He didn’t spare Bianca’s life for some trivial reason like respecting life.
Facing his cold and ruthless gaze, a fact she had temporarily put aside came to mind.

Shin Siwoo, who had reportedly dropped Aea Sadalmelik to the 13th rank.
She had heard that he had a unique ability to steal the magic of other witches through intercourse.
The ability itself seemed ridiculous at first glance, but the result was not something to be laughed at.

Just looking at Aea, one could see what a tragedy it was to have one’s magic stolen while still alive.
For a witch, it was the same as having her arms and legs cut off.
Nevertheless, Bianca readily accepted it.

“Okay, ravish me as much as you want. But… spare my life.”
“……”

Shin Siwoo, having even removed his armor, finally stood before Bianca.
Due to the impact of the collision, Bianca’s clothes, which were barely functioning, clearly revealed her ample breasts and thighs.

Historically, many kings had met their demise by the black hand’s blade on the bed.
A woman’s skirt and the legs that gently wrapped around the waist were bound to disarm a man to the ground.

Bianca’s provocative gaze turned to Siwoo.
In the corner of her eyes, a jade-colored light gleamed.

“Try to devour me.”

Beneath the surface of the water she was leaning against.
There remained a trump card she had created by squeezing out all her mana.
An artifact she had arranged by squeezing out all her mana at the moment of her fall.

-Chwaaaak!!!

Waiting until Siwoo, who was also out of energy, came close, an alien mouth appeared, breaking the surface of the water.
Teeth as dense as the spears of a tightly packed formation of spearmen closed in from all directions, like an insectivorous plant devouring insects.

“Because I’m going to devour you too.”

Taking advantage of a moment of carelessness at the last moment.
The teeth that were about to chew up both Bianca and Siwoo suddenly froze.

Rain poured down out of nowhere.
It covered Siwoo, Bianca, and the mouth of the artifact, covering all directions.

Where the seemingly ordinary rainwater fell, the operation of magic stopped.
It heavily absorbed mana without allowing any control.

“What is this…”

In Bianca’s bewildered gaze, her body slowly began to break apart.
Blooming flowers and flowers and flowers.
Wildflowers blooming, piercing her skin and tearing her body, sprouted on the sea, the artifact, and the witch’s body without distinction.

“Ha… haha…”

Her last resort had failed.
Bianca, laughing in vain, turned into a pile of flowers and collapsed, leaving its remains spinning on the surface of the water.

Siwoo raised his body and sought the cause of this phenomenon.
His gaze, which was trying to find the intruder who had suddenly appeared and interfered when he was about to devour his prey, landed on a blonde witch who was stiff.

3.
No matter how much she searched, she couldn’t find it.

The place Amelia had reached by retracing the mana’s wave was a shipyard, and even after a thorough examination, there was nothing particularly suspicious.
There were no traces of a separate barrier being deployed, and no additional heavy mana waves were felt.

At this point, it was natural to think, ‘Was it just a mistake?’
It was unlikely that a witch of Amelia’s caliber would overlook the existence of an adjacent barrier.
Amelia, feeling that it was a wild goose chase, was about to turn around.
As if trying to hold her back, another heavy mana shock was felt.

-Kuuung!

What Amelia captured was the trace of a collapsed barrier.
Even though it was still daytime, the night sky was hanging fragmented beyond the sky.

In the middle of the black sea, the witch of desire, whom she had seen on the kill list, was seen floating like a fallen feather.
Her condition was not normal.
It was clear from her torn clothes and pale complexion due to mana deficiency.

And the man looking down at her in front of her.
The back view she had so longed for and drawn was Shin Siwoo’s.

“Ah…”

What arose with a slow sigh was trauma.
Shin Siwoo, whose head was pierced at the feet of Aea Sadalmelik.
Regardless of the circumstances, just seeing ‘Siwoo alone with the enemy’ made Amelia’s face pale.

As if waiting for it, Amelia swallowed a scream and cast a spell on the huge mouth that was trying to swallow the prey on the surface of the water.

Collapsing piles of flowers.

This time, there was not even the slightest hesitation.
Amelia, who had scattered both the artifact and the witch of desire, ran across the sea without delay towards Siwoo.

Siwoo’s body was more battered than Bianca’s.
His appearance, dripping blood to the point where it was difficult to know what his original skin color was, was terrifying.
The worry stemming from that terrible injury made her forget her fear.

Not knowing what to say, or what face to look at him with, her feet, which had only been stepping back in fear, were running towards Siwoo without rest.

She was actually afraid.
She was scared.
Of being rejected.
She was terribly afraid of facing the results she had been avoiding.

Siwoo’s tears at the moment of their separation and the cry of resentment he had shed were still echoing in her heart.
The nightmare that was repeated every night might happen today.
It might become irreversible again.

Siwoo, who had been looking down at Bianca, who had turned into flowers and disappeared.
When his gaze turned to Amelia.

“……”

The moment Amelia’s eyes, which had been running across the surface of the water, met Siwoo’s, her steps slowly stopped.

What to say.
How to treat him.
The countless words she had drawn before collapsing exhausted after the hunt.

She couldn’t utter any of them.

His tightly closed mouth did not open.
What cleanly cut off even the last strand of faint hope was his cold gaze.
An atmosphere that even felt a subtle annoyance, as if he had encountered an intruder, did not allow any excuses or apologies.
All that was there was disconnection and rejection.

“Si…woo…”

The time that had stopped at the barely squeezed out call began to flow again.
Siwoo, who had made eye contact, turned his head as if ignoring Amelia.
His gaze was directed towards the eastern sky, not Amelia.

-Chalpalk Chalpalk

Siwoo’s back, turning without any lingering feelings.
Seeing his back heading somewhere without even exchanging the minimum conversation.
At the same time as the twisted other-dimensional barrier collapsed, Amelia’s heart also collapsed.

4.
Amelia crouched down, endlessly recalling the same scene.

Silently hunting homunculi, capturing enemies.
The selfish optimism that if she said she did it for him, she would be forgiven, and that any conflict would be resolved over time.

The fact that all of that was just an illusion was revealed.
Siwoo did not get angry at Amelia.
He turned his back without even giving her a chance to say a word.

As if he had returned to the time when he couldn’t feel any emotions.

Was it possible that he didn’t even have the desire to resolve the conflict?
Then what was she fighting for all this time?
Was it an impure atonement from the beginning, putting herself in the role of a tragic heroine and hoping that he would look back at her?
What should she do now?
Where should she go back to?

Amelia sank endlessly into the ruthless reality, where not a single tear fell because she couldn’t even feel it yet.

“Amelia! How could you leave without saying anything! You scared me!”

Clara’s hand was placed on Amelia’s shoulder, who was about to slowly lower her head.

“Cl…Clara…”

Clara realized that something was wrong with Amelia’s expression, which was looking at her as if she would burst into tears if she was touched, while crouching down.

“I… I met… Siwoo…”

As the final blow that determined what had happened was added, Clara solidified her conviction.

“I couldn’t say anything… He didn’t say anything to me either…”
“Amelia.”

Clara firmly grabbed Amelia’s hand, who was trying to run away alone again.
The pain from the rough touch, which was almost a tight grip.
It held onto Amelia’s consciousness, which was about to fall into a panic state.

“What happened? Tell me properly.”
“I don’t want to… It’s painful… I don’t want anything anymore…”
“Amelia!”

Clara scolded Amelia in a stern voice.
Clara, who had always had a loud voice due to her cheerful and lively nature, was the first time she had seen her raise her voice like this.
Amelia’s eyes, as if surprised, turned to Clara.

“We’re friends! At least tell me what happened! I, I want to help you too…”
“Clara…”

Tears fell from Amelia’s wide eyes.
She gasped painfully with her beautiful face contorted as if she was having trouble breathing.

Amelia explained everything that had happened when she met him.
It was difficult to understand because the facts and impressions were mixed, her tone was blurred, and it was half a sob.

Nevertheless, Clara listened to Amelia’s words calmly from beginning to end.
From beginning to end.

What kind of reaction Siwoo had shown her.
What kind of despair she was feeling.
Clara listened to Amelia’s words, which were close to a complaint, while holding her in her arms.

“Amelia.”
“……”

Clara patted Amelia’s back as she could only hiccup and couldn’t answer properly.

“So, you haven’t even had a proper conversation yet?”
“…I couldn’t… speak…”
“No, no, I’m not trying to blame you. But the fact is that there’s nothing certain, right?”

Amelia’s body stiffened slightly at Clara’s words.

“If you’re going to suffer alone like this… how about being a little more courageous?”
“……”
“Just like you suddenly met Siwoo, Siwoo must have been flustered by your sudden appearance. Maybe he’s thinking differently now. Or maybe he was secretly regretting it like you.”

Amelia didn’t trust other people’s words well.
She had lived alone for too long, and the human distrust she had gained from the worst breakup of the deepest relationship she had formed was deeply rooted.

But Clara’s voice resonated particularly clearly in Amelia’s heart.

“Let’s go back to Gehenna first. When we get back, even if it’s difficult to talk, let’s at least try to meet.”
“How… should I…”

Clara, who was holding Amelia dearly, stroked her golden hair, which seemed like it would break.
She moved her lips as if kissing Amelia’s ear.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you. You don’t have to think about other complicated problems.”

A whisper sweeter than the temptation of a snake flowed into Amelia’s heart.

“You just have to listen to my whispers.”