"It looks like Séraphine got herself into big trouble," said a woman standing in front of the entrance to the abandoned factory where Séraphine was supposed to investigate Howard Stone's actions further.
Francisca, who was wearing a blue sleeveless blouse and black puffed pants in the strong style of her homeland, stood next to one of her alchemical automatons, number three.
She adjusted the strands of red hair that were in her eyes and looked at the facility with apprehension. Her blue-painted lips were pressed together, revealing her concern.
The alchemist touched her forehead, causing her crimson eyes to emit a faint blue glow. This allowed her to see the dense spiritual energy permeating every inch of the place.
"Luckily, I came fully equipped, but I didn't expect to use my detector contact lenses so quickly," she muttered. She was fearful of the vision before her but proud of her preparation.
Her eyes were naturally black, but she had worn red contact lenses for so long that her mental image of the people of Blume was that of a woman with a terrifying gaze.
These lenses were a tool created by Francisca using alchemy. They were inspired by the spiritual energy detection cameras usually used by the police and the Tower. How could she not have something like that?
As someone who believed science was necessary for any alchemist, Francisca's alchemical works were quite technical and, for that reason, useful in a variety of situations.
"Don't tell me she was foolish enough to go in. I thought she would take it more calmly," the redhead thought. Séraphine's attention toward Howard Stone's affairs was probably why she made the impulsive decision to go in.
After all, her henchmen had failed to detect the witch's presence at her detective agency, so her location was obvious. However, Francisca was not very involved in this matter and was mostly neutral.
"Only the Tower can solve this," the alchemist concluded, looking down at the automaton beside her who had faithfully followed her.
Francisca knew Number 3 was special and had become even more so over time. She decided to bring it with her and began treating it as a living entity rather than an alchemical construct.
"Three, I want you to stay here and communicate with the Tower. Someone has to come and deal with this mess," she said, pointing to the factory. This prompted the automaton to use the detectors in its hardware to assess the situation.
"Isn't it risky for you to decide to go in?" Although Francisca did not reveal her intentions, Number Three sensed that its creator wanted to go in, so it asked the question.
The woman stood still, processing the fact that a machine had asked her an unprogrammed question. The question had a different tone, an emotional one, even though Number Three's voice was neutral and mechanical.
"I have to do it. A friend is probably inside, and I must help her." Francisca patted the automaton's metal head before gently caressing the ring on her right ring finger.
After this gesture, the ring expelled an object, which the alchemist caught. It was a rifle made almost entirely of alchemically treated holly wood, giving it an unusual, deep white color.
There were no carving marks or metal parts mixed in with the rest of the weapon. This made the bolt on the right side, the black telescopic sight, and the barrel at the tip appear completely integrated into the rifle.
A completely black bayonet, seemingly made of a material that absorbed all light, lay beneath the weapon. It contrasted with the whiteness of the rest of the rifle.
Though it was heavy and a meter long, Francisca carried it with relative ease, resting the weapon's body on her shoulder. When she held the rifle, her demeanor changed abruptly, becoming quite dangerous.
"You're one of my best alchemical works. I've wanted to use you for a long time, and now I have the chance," the redhead said as she caressed the weapon. It seemed to emit a soft hum in response, causing the woman to smile.
Because of the sniper rifle she had created, Francisca considered many of the commissions she had done for certain groups, both legal and illegal, to be of low quality.
The alchemical work she held in her hand was one of her best creations: a fully customized weapon similar to Séraphine's rapier. At this point, it could no longer be considered simply an enchanted object but rather a magical one, a different category altogether.
Although alchemists could not perform magic, many terms applied to each of the three professions without exclusion. Thus, she could consider the result of her hard work to be magical.
Magical items could be considered superior to enchanted items but inferior to artifacts. Even so, there were highs and lows among these categories.
Interestingly, representatives of these three categories could be manufactured by intelligent creatures or arise naturally in certain places or special environments, adding another layer of mystery to the world.
'Like the strange crystal Séraphine asked me to set. It was an artifact created by an Inferos. She wanted to crudely call it a Magic Crystal. Metamorphic Necklace sounds better!' Francisca thought as she caressed her weapon. In reality, she was checking it using alchemy because her fingers constantly glowed blue whenever she touched it.
"Go, do your duty, Number 3." After checking her rifle and making sure it was in good condition and ready for action, the alchemist gave that order to the automaton. Then, she walked toward the factory entrance, prepared to investigate or support Séraphine.
Something the witch will undoubtedly appreciate.
𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝
After destroying the ritual's protective structure, Howard Stone's body was fully exposed to the exuberant spiritual energy that had been unleashed from the sphere. This energy had previously been contained. It was the result of Stone's attempt to create something unheard of: a Spiritual Core.
He undoubtedly did not notice the oddities occurring in his body and possessions; his eyes were fixed on his work, the result of his recent achievements, his opportunity to transcend humanity.
"How can something so beautiful be just a prototype? It's perfect!" Howard murmured, his eyes bulging out of their sockets and his mind completely dissociated from reality.
Waves of red energy constantly impacted his body, modifying, twisting, and molding it at will. The sphere beat like a heart, drawing the soul of the man in front of it to perdition.
"That woman ran away without taking advantage of such an opportunity. She taught me interesting spells, but with the power I can gain, what does it matter if she is allied with those monsters? I'll be incredibly strong!" He began to shout, but his voice barely carried. The environment was so charged with spiritual energy that it completely absorbed the sound.
"Why abandon this project? Why not continue with it? It doesn't matter! I did it! Thank you for neglecting such vital information and allowing me to ascend!" As he gestured, Howard's hands twisted, but his body had entered an accelerated phase of transformation, drastically altering his physical appearance.
As if sensing that his work was taking too long to materialize, the spiritual core released a fluctuation unlike the previous ones. Instead of a wave of corrupting energy, it was more like an indication, a word expressed in a language no one could understand, yet Howard Stone could.
"Yes... You're exactly what I need. What? A suitable sacrifice? I was already planning to sacrifice three annoying women. So let me join you." The man's hands had turned into claws with red scales oozing black blood. They reached out toward the sphere of spiritual energy, trying to touch it.
This caused the spiritual core to stop emitting waves as if it wanted to be accepted by Howard. Just as his mutated hands were about to touch it, however, a strong impact pushed his body away, and an explosion engulfed him in darkness.
"This is the perfect moment to attack," Séraphine said. She and her companions took advantage of the absence of red waves to approach the enemy.
The witch took advantage of Howard holding back the spiritual core and fired one of her expensive enchanted bullets at him. It hit one of the shoulders of the now-mutated film producer, knocking him away from the energy sphere.
Although Howard Stone's previous actions had calmed this cluster of spiritual energy, Séraphine knew they had to act quickly because anything could happen. She didn't want to get involved in something of such magnitude because, apart from the fact that the corruption would be deadly, she didn't want to ruin her beautiful appearance!
After all, beauty was one of the most important things in a witch's life. Although this had become a stereotype of this class of extraordinary women, it was a truth they all recognized.
Séraphine was cautious about two things at that moment. First, she was curious about Howard Stone's identity. She had theorized this before, but seeing how skilled he was at ruining the protective ritual and how he was the only one here apart from his minions confirmed it.
After all, magic had been used to manipulate the previous undead abominations. Since no one else present had the authority to do so, the witch concluded that Howard Stone must be a magician who had kept his ability a secret.
After all, the magic circle in the city of Blume was quite small. Everyone knew each other to a certain extent and exchanged things they needed, such as notes, research, spells, ideas, and proposals.
The only plausible answer was that Howard Stone had been a secret wizard. Did he learn magic as a young man or as an adult? She didn't know, nor did she care at that moment. She just wanted to get rid of him. However, her other concern prevented her from taking drastic measures without thinking things through.
Musu's cryptic words and her current situation made Séraphine realize that she was in danger. Looking at the supposed failed spiritual core in front of her, she understood why it was called that.
It was the first time she had seen such an accumulation of spiritual energy. It was very different from the aether she could generate and manipulate. This caused the witch to experience a certain physical and mental rejection.
This red energy was cold and affected the environment, causing bursts of coldness that made people shiver and covering the floor and walls with frost. Above all, when it was out of control, it corrupted and contaminated everything in its path.
Whether organic or inorganic, the rawness of spiritual energy spread to everything in the material world as if it were the embodiment of the contradiction between the two worlds.
This is why strange situations arose when aether and spiritual energy collided. Séraphine feared this spiritual core would spiral out of control. However, she also didn't want to interact with the object.
She felt that there seemed to be a vague consciousness inhabiting the core, especially when she did. As a witch who investigated the immaterial realm, she was sensitive to such things. For further confirmation, her eyes glowed with an intense light, indicating that her special vision had been activated.
Focusing her gaze on the sphere of energy, she noticed a glow different from spiritual energy, something she had seen in other life forms: the faint light of a soul.
Because she could see it, a consciousness brushed against Séraphine's mind and transmitted a message that could be translated as a child's attempt to convince his father to do what he wanted.
"You're too young to charm me," the witch declared disdainfully. She received an angry message in return, but simply cut off the connection.
Fortunately, despite the uncontrolled nature of its energy, that consciousness was quite pure, so Séraphine was not at risk. However, it still allowed her to know what she needed. The witch deactivated her ability, having gained a much better understanding of what she was facing.
The trio had taken up position, standing between the man and the spiritual core. The witch looked at Howard Stone, who was completely deformed by spiritual energy. There was no pity in her eyes, only scrutiny.
Howard's appearance had changed so much that he no longer looked human. He was now a monstrous creature with four arms, huge legs, sharp claws, and scales covering his body. He stood two meters tall.
His mouth was full of fangs, and his eyes were not fixed in their sockets but extended from them like a snail's. He constantly wiggled his elongated eyes and gave furtive glances at the spiritual core, an ugly look of longing on his face.
"You don't know what you've done! I must join you!" the monster that was once a man shouted. He was now a shadow of his former self, yet still powerful.
"Don't you notice how ugly you become when you're like this?" asked Élodie. She crouched down, tensed her muscles, and held her hammer so that she could use it as a shield or a weapon, depending on the situation.
"Spiritual corruption to this degree distorts their minds, preventing them from realizing it. The difference between their bodies and souls puts terrible pressure on their minds, making them increasingly irrational," explained Séraphine, pointing her revolver at Howard Stone. However, she wasn't quite sure that bullets, even enchanted ones, would be useful at this point.
"I feel...that he's different from the rest," Madeleine murmured, fear evident in her voice. After all, her senses were far superior to those of humans, allowing her to perceive the power hidden within Howard Stone's body.
"Because he's a wizard, the corruption of any magic user will always be particularly special. Élodie and I faced an alpha werewolf yesterday, but it was nowhere near as monstrous as him." Séraphine's words seemed to trigger something in Howard Stone. He smiled uglily, baring his terrifying teeth at the witch.
"Oh, I remember you! Are you the one who ruined what those guys were doing with the werewolf? HAHAHAHA! Blume City sure is small," he said in a raspy, guttural voice, as if he had regained his lucidity upon being separated from the spiritual core.
"What do you know?" Séraphine asked, but the monster simply continued laughing, undoubtedly mocking her.
"I'm not like the villains in those radio shows! I don't have to explain anything to you. Now, get out of my way, you sluts!" Howard walked forward and removed the few pieces of clothing that covered his naked body. Now, he had nothing left to show, only his body covered in defensive plates.
But what impressed Séraphine was that, before striking forward, the monster made a clenching gesture with his hand; then, the unmistakable bluish glow of aether manifested in front of him, vividly forming an energy fist. The mere presence of this fist distorted the air with the heat it emanated.
"Damn it! Its cognition is still intact," Séraphine cursed. She swung her soul and pushed her palm forward in a stopping gesture. This created a wall of energy in front of the trio just in time to protect them from Howard Stone's magical punch.
The clash of the two energy constructs caused a shockwave that shook the women's hair. Sasha, clinging to Séraphine's hat for safety, inwardly regretted joining the fight.
She wasn't trained to fight such powerful creatures! She regretted her innate curiosity as a fairy, which had led her to this place. She soon discovered that she could not leave and was almost devoured by corrupted spiritual energy rabbits.
She could only watch as Séraphine protected the team with her magical wall. However, that didn't mean she and the other girls were useless. Sasha gathered her courage and used one of her gifts as Queen of the Fairies.
A small blue spark floated toward Howard's eyes, camouflaged among the aether that splattered due to the magical clash between him and Séraphine. The spark then exploded, producing sound waves that disrupted the monster's balance and caused it to lose control of its spell.
"Thank you, Sasha!" shouted Élodie, who leaped toward the monster without thinking, taking advantage of its disadvantageous state.
The blonde held nothing back, turning into a blur as she closed the distance between her and her enemy. Not only that, but her warhammer was also coated in a deep blue, indicating that it was enhanced.
Élodie twisted her waist and channeled all her strength into her hammer. She swung it in a horizontal blow that struck Howard Stone directly in the side. The hammer head's impact against the mutant's ribs unleashed a burst of aether, sending the entity flying several dozen meters.
Then, a thin beam of energy struck the area hit by the hammer, penetrating Howard's resistant scales and causing him to bleed.
A purple cloud then covered the mutant monster, causing it to scream as crackling cries became audible. The four women acted simultaneously, each unleashing a particular attack, yet none celebrated prematurely.
Despite the apparent damage they had inflicted on the monster, including its cries of pain, there was a strong inconsistency in the whole affair. Suddenly, Howard's voice stopped, and a gust of wind blew away the purple cloud hiding his figure.
"I thought you would try to get closer and finish me off, or at least distract me. It seems that you women have some brains," said the unmistakable voice of the man who appeared with an expressionless face, though his body looked wounded.
However, his wounds emitted a reddish glow, and soon, they began to heal. Howard Stone twisted his body slightly as if warming up before pointing one of his long claws at Séraphine.
"My mind may be clouded by my desires, but I am superior to you and that werewolf. Do you think I will go mad from receiving this enhancement?
No! I am more lucid than ever, and I can unleash all the magic I want without fear of consequences." Having said this, the man continued to point at Séraphine. This time, his gesture resembled the way children play with imaginary weapons.
Séraphine recognized the spell. After all, she had recently purchased and studied it, although she hadn't had the opportunity to try it out. Given how new it was, however, she knew she had to wait.
Howard Stone made a shooting gesture, and a ball of energy gathered at his fingertip before shooting out with a sonic boom. An aether bullet flew through the air, straight toward the witch, but a hammer got in the way. It struck the energy projectile, scattering it.
"I've seen this before. You won't be able to do anything with that," declared Élodie, who had just protected Séraphine. But her words only made Howard Stone laugh.
"I'm just testing it out. After all, Miss Rohan must have recognized this spell. After all, you bought it two nights ago before entering a mansion under construction." The monster's words made Séraphine, who had not trembled at the coldness of the spiritual energy, feel a chill run down her spine.
This guy knew more than the average person should! Although Séraphine was occasionally in the newspaper, the journalists knew nothing about her purchase of the bullet spell. What could that mean?
Someone had been investigating or watching her all this time. Were cultists hiding within the police force? Or did Roman have something to do with this? After all, that half-baked magician's spiritual corruption hadn't gone very far, but it was a clear sign of his interaction with spiritual energy.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? It seems that Lady Osmond's student is just this!" Howard said provocatively before generating another energy bullet at his fingertip. This time, however, Madeleine's tail stopped it, using her powerful scales as a shield.
"It seems you've wanted to sink your claws into people other than actresses, Howard," Madeleine said, clenching her teeth tightly.
"Of course! She's just a simple witch, but her background is interesting. Wouldn't it be satisfying to have a supposedly prestigious woman like her under my power? She's much tastier than those stupid actresses!" The creature's contemptuous words made the snake woman hiss loudly, but she didn't rush to attack.
"It seems you know my teacher and my family. Did you really dare try something against me?" Séraphine asked, with a hint of doubt in her voice. After all, this situation was somewhat peculiar to her.
Unlike those little princesses from wealthy, high-status families, she didn't depend on her parents or her teacher to make a name for herself in the city of Blume. However, it was common for certain knowledgeable people to be somewhat cautious around her because of her background.
However, if someone wanted to hurt her, she wouldn't let those things stop her. An enemy didn't care about your family background or your teacher; they only cared about how to inflict harm on you. However, Séraphine found all this striking, especially because of the man's provocative words earlier.
She didn't care if people guessed who her parents were. After all, she couldn't change her last name. However, Howard Stone seemed to know about Lady Osmond, her teacher. From the tone he used, it seemed that even he had a certain respect for that woman.
"Who doesn't know the spoiled daughter of the Rohan family? There was a lot of laughter because of you! Instead of using your family's resources and influence, did you really degrade yourself by providing detective and counseling services to the police? Stupidity!"
As for your teacher... You could say I've had some interactions with her." At this point, Howard Stone's smile turned into an angry expression. He clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms.
"If I can't get revenge on her, then I'll take it out on her student! What better way to get even than that?" the monster shouted before charging toward them like an unstoppable juggernaut.
His heavy footsteps shook the ground as he stretched his hands out to the sides, ready to slice through anything in his way. A faint spiritual energy covered his body, further emphasizing the threat he posed.
"He's aiming for the core! Don't let him touch it!" Séraphine warned, clasping her hands together and making a twisting gesture, channeling the aether through her body and generating a sphere of energy between her palms.
This was the first of many, and soon, several spheres floated behind the witch's body. Madeleine, on the other hand, intended to stop Howard's charge directly. After all, she had the strength for this task.
Thus, the Lamia's body quickly slithered forward. Her human body was filled with green scales, starting with those already on her arms, and covered her completely.
During the process of becoming armored, her skin took on a slightly purple hue, leaving behind the pallor that had characterized her previously. A blue glow covered her claws, and her mouth opened slightly, revealing a pair of snake fangs.
Madeleine considered fighting the monster Howard Stone had become directly! The anger and hatred inside her burned fiercely. She had restrained herself greatly before, but now was the time to unleash her wild side.
Élodie exerted all her strength from the start. Her body was covered in a blue glow, and the high temperature of the energy stung her skin. However, the blonde was used to that uncomfortable feeling, so she smoothly coated her war hammer in blue light.
As she moved, a crackling sound came from where she had been standing, leaving two small cracks in the floor. Her figure transformed into a blue line and positioned itself next to Madeleine so the two women could launch a joint attack.
"Did you forget that I can do magic!?" As he ran, Howard Stone gestured with one of his hands, placing his fist forward as if he were holding a shield. Thus, magic occurred.
A round shield made of aether emerged from his hand and collided with Madeleine's body, or rather, her energy-enhanced claws.
The collision between the two large creatures was abrupt, producing a metallic screech that was uncomfortable for some. However, this was to the advantage of Élodie, who attacked the mutant directly with her hammer.
However, Howard backed away and put up his energy shield for protection. Then, in a fluid movement for his size, the monster kicked the Lamia, colliding with Madeleine's claw attack.
Although his limb was injured, he didn't seem to care about the damage he had suffered. Instead, he turned and kicked Élodie with his injured leg, forcing her to use her hammer as a shield.
It seemed that Howard was dominating at that moment, but they weren't fighting alone. A pair of blue spheres fell from the sky and struck the man's shoulders, interacting with the layer of energy covering his body.
This caused colorful sparks to fly and altered his posture due to the force of the impact. The entity stumbled, and Séraphine smiled in the distance because it created an opportunity for her companions.
Madeleine turned at that moment, using her tail like a whip to strike the monster's body. Although it tried to protect itself with its shield, its lack of balance prevented it from doing so. It took the full force of Lamia's tail.
Howard Stone's body fell to the ground. At that moment, however, Élodie appeared at his side. She had prepared for this finishing blow and raised her hammer high before bringing it down and striking the monster's chest mercilessly.
The impact caused an explosion of aether that collided with the surrounding spiritual energy, sending sparks flying once again. Additionally, the ground beneath Howard cracked due to the attack, indicating the power of the blow.
Wounds oozed blood, and large cracks appeared in the monster's flesh. Even the red energy layer diminished so much that it was barely visible.
"Damn you!" the creature growled. It felt a great deal of pain from the blow it had just suffered. Luckily, its body was much stronger than when it was human, so it was able to move away from Élodie before she could hit it again with her hammer.
The creature struggled to get back up, but a barrage of aether spheres led by Séraphine struck it again, covering its body with energy that reacted badly with the power now contained within.
The creature had previously overcome the disadvantage of its own aether because it was intrinsic to its being as a wizard; therefore, the spiritual energy did not react sharply, allowing it to perform magic without much trouble.
However, Séraphine's spells reacted terribly with the red cloak barely covering his skin. The cloak exploded violently, inflicting more wounds on his flesh.
Interestingly, Howard's ability to recover was affected. Although his regeneration healed his body, the four women noticed that, unlike before, his recovery took a long time.
The creature's breathing became labored, and his body seemed to shrink several inches. Then, he began coughing and spitting out more of his rotten blood. Madeleine hissed with joy.
"It seems you're not as indifferent to poison as I thought," the Lamia said, causing Howard to focus his eyes on her. When he tried to speak, more black liquid came out of his mouth.
"Your regeneration isn't as good as it used to be. Will you be able to recover from a hammer blow to the head?" asked Élodie, shaking the hammer on her shoulder.
"We have to eliminate it. Then, we'll get rid of this core," said Séraphine, closing her hand into a fist. With one movement, she made a striking gesture toward Howard Stone.
The aether manifested itself as a jet of energy that struck the monster's chest with force. The monster tried to evade the attack, but its overwhelming weakness slowed it down considerably, making it a perfect target for the witch.
The sound of something heavy hitting flesh echoed throughout the area. The creature's body was pushed back, leaving a trail of claws on the hard ground.
The entity fell to its knees. The spiritual energy that had previously covered its body was gone. The scales on its body were ruined, especially in the area where Séraphine's magic had struck. The best part was that its regeneration was barely noticeable.
It was in terrible shape! So both Élodie and Madeleine took advantage of this. The lamia used its serpentine body to crush Howard Stone completely, dropping its tail on him.
Then, to fulfill her wish, Élodie aimed her hammer at the mutant's head. The mutant writhed, trying to avoid his imminent fate. However, Madeleine immobilized him with her heavy lower limb.
His wide eyes could only watch sadly as the police weapon fell on his head. The first blow stunned him but didn't knock him out, demonstrating his resilience. This only made the blonde smile.
"It would be sad if you fell with only one blow, wouldn't it? I still have more strength," said Élodie to Howard Stone, her muscles trembling and contracting, revealing the veins in her arms.
The aether in her body behaved like a flame, indicating that she was using this energy to its fullest capacity. Although she was feeling increasingly exhausted, the police officer had decided to do this to completely get rid of the plague that had hurt so many people.
The sound of flesh and bones being crushed echoed through the air, accompanied by the ground's trembling and the disgusting splatter of black blood. But alongside these sounds, there was also wild laughter.
Blow after blow, she became a piston, wielding her war hammer against Howard Stone's face. With each blow, she unleashed her pent-up emotions and took revenge for the victims of this beast.
"I told you I would crush your horrible head!" the policewoman shouted. Her blue eyes were stained red, indicative of aether overuse. Neither Madeleine nor Séraphine stopped her; they only watched her hammer with less and less force on the pulp that was once the head of the man who had lost his humanity.
She stopped only when her breathing became difficult, her hair was stuck to her face with sweat, and she could barely stand. She had accomplished her task of crushing the bastard's head.
Madeleine separated from Howard, looking at the monster's corpse with deep disgust in her slanted eyes. However, she also felt a certain sadness for the companion she had ignored and failed to rescue.
Séraphine approached Élodie and placed her hand on the policewoman's back. She said nothing, simply preventing her from collapsing from exhaustion. The blonde turned her head to look at the witch before smiling at her.
"Well done, silly cop," Séraphine whispered, causing Élodie's lips to tremble. She wanted to complain, but she couldn't catch her breath. She soon managed to overcome this, though.
"Can't you stop being such a bitch?" the police officer complained, making Séraphine smile. Her nose then twitched, a gesture that surprised the blonde slightly.
"I can't. I'm a witch; we're all bitches," the brunette replied, causing Élodie, Madeleine, and Sasha, who were listening, to roll their eyes.
How much truth was hidden in that sentence!