Séraphine touched her face and felt the warm touch of blood on her fingers. However, this was not something that mattered to her now. Although it hurt physically, the mental pain of possibly having her face ruined caused her more discomfort. However, with a dangerous enemy nearby, she could put those concerns aside.
'When I return, I will get piercings in more places. My nose and lips would be good. They will be a reminder of this suffering,' thought Séraphine. She managed to kneel on the ground before bringing her hand to her nose and pressing one of her nostrils.
After blowing hard, a little clotted blood came out of the uncovered nostril. Then, the witch repeated the same action on the other side, clearing her nose and allowing her to breathe better.
She spat out the accumulated blood in her mouth and rejoiced mentally that none of her teeth had been broken. The bad taste seemed like it would stay with her for a while, at least until she could get out of this place.
"Séraphine, who is that woman? You seem to know her!" Sasha flew around the witch, wanting to get closer to her. However, realizing that her new companion was disoriented from the blows she had received, Sasha decided to use her special abilities.
A soft blue glow emerged from her hands and covered Séraphine's face. The energy removed the blood and, although it did not heal her wounds, straightened the brunette's nose. Sasha also guided her energy to clean the witch's clothes, returning them to a pristine state.
As a special type of fairy, the name 'Queen' suited her well because her abilities were quite useful for helping her allies. This was especially evident now, as her actions proved that she was a graceful addition to the improvised team.
"You have interesting abilities. You'd be good at washing clothes. Would you like to live with me?" Séraphine asked in a grateful tone. She felt some of the dizziness leave her mind, enough that the floor no longer swayed when she looked at it.
"I'm not a laundress! But... I can live with you. You should be grateful. This queen has decided that your home can be a good refuge," Sasha declared before patting her chest.
"If you'll excuse me, I'll take advantage of the fact that that woman is mistreating that guy... It's better not to mention his name. Who knows what might happen?" The fairy realized something important just in time: the name of the red boy was not something a person should say lightly. This made the conflict even more problematic.
The situation wasn't similar to the names of those great beings, but being so close to Rubin, no one knew what effects mentioning his name could trigger.
This was especially true since the spirit creature's performance had been quite remarkable until the red-haired woman wounded it from a distance. Francisca's shots undoubtedly shattered the image of invincibility that had taken root in the women's hearts during that brief period.
"I understand what you mean. Go help the others. The woman shooting is a friend of mine," said Séraphine, because the time that Francisca had bought them had to be used to the fullest.
Upon hearing the witch's words, Sasha flew to Madeleine first, noticing that the Lamia was in better shape than she had thought. The snake woman had even tried to sit up properly, so the fairy used her support skills on her.
"Thank you..." Madeleine murmured, feeling her urge to vomit subside. However, the pain from having her head smashed against the ground barely subsided. Still, she was ready to fight; she wanted revenge for the damage Rubin had caused her.
This was the first time she had been treated so roughly. After all, she had been a pampered movie star for a long time, and, due to her species, she rarely got into trouble.
In fact, this could be considered her first time taking action. She had never used her venom against others. Her claws had become more aesthetic than deadly, and she used her powerful scales to give gifts to her fans rather than for defense.
It was quite clear that she wasn't in the right frame of mind for a fight, but she refused to stay that way. Perhaps it was in her nature as a Lamia, but she wanted to make Rubin pay and give him back everything he had done to her.
'After this, if I survive, I'll have to learn to fight better...' Madeleine thought, touching the back of her head and carefully feeling the ugly, bleeding wound.
Although her torso swayed as she was incorporated into her snake body, she clung to the consciousness she had barely awakened. She watched as Rubin tried to rebuild his body after being bombarded by electric rays for several seconds.
Sasha flew toward Élodie after finishing with Madeleine. Unlike the snake woman, the blonde had already begun to stand up and was struggling to carry her war hammer, assuming a rather fragile combat stance.
"They knocked you out cold. Are you okay?" The fairy noticed that the police uniform shirt of the woman she had knocked out had been torn, revealing her toned abdomen. However, an ugly bruise marred what had previously been a beautiful sight.
"What do you think...?" Élodie replied with another question, though it was difficult for her to speak due to her shortness of breath and general discomfort.
Her body trembled from exhaustion and pain. Unlike Madeleine, however, the police officer had great willpower. This allowed her to overcome her disadvantages and regain some energy as she stood up.
"Hmph! With that attitude, maybe I should hit you, too," Sasha complained. However, her actions did not match her boastful words. She radiated her abilities to the blonde, helping her regain energy and alleviating her pain.
Feeling better, she began breathing more deeply and steadily, wanting to recover her energy more effectively. Her blue eyes were slightly closed due to the earlier attack.
At the start of the fight, however, she never took her eyes off Rubin, her enemy. However, she looked in the direction from which the shots had come for a few seconds, instantly figuring out who had helped her by recognizing their physical features.
"It seems Lady Zhang has excellent aim, just as the information said," the police officer murmured, smiling slightly when she saw the damage her enemy had suffered.
She hadn't expected this kind of support but was deeply grateful to Francisca for giving her a chance to join the fight, something she wanted as a warrior.
Her extensive combat experience allowed her to devise countermeasures. Although her knowledge of the spiritual world was limited compared to her knowledge of the real world, she sensed something strange about the crimson child.
'He reminds me of those creatures with keen senses,' thought Élodie, remembering monsters from her time in the army.
She didn't know if the situation with these beings was the same as with Rubin, but something was better than nothing. So, when she could stand steadily without risking a fall, instead of moving forward, she moved backward.
She knew getting too close could be counterproductive. She couldn't face the red-skinned boy head-on. His speed, his ability to appear instantly, and the force of his blows were things she didn't want to experience firsthand.
At least, not again.
𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝
"It seems you've gotten yourself into quite a mess, haven't you, Séraphine?" Francisca approached the witch and asked this question with a playful smile and a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
Séraphine had followed Élodie's example, moving far enough away from Rubin while he recovered from the alchemist's attack. Francisca noticed that the reconstruction of the Crimson Child's body had slowed considerably, and the spiritual energy in the environment was steadily decreasing.
Consequently, the field invisible to normal eyes that constantly surrounded Rubin had also shrunk considerably, a sign that he no longer had as much power to spare as before.
Despite the redhead's attitude, however, she held her loaded rifle, ready to fire if necessary. She was an alchemist, and her methods were never in direct conflict. Therefore, she approached Séraphine to devise a strategy to resolve this threat.
She had found a solution: consume this being's energy! She didn't know much about this creature's origin, but she had noticed that it seemed unable to generate its own energy and had to draw on that of its surroundings.
This was undoubtedly a weakness that could be exploited. Being an alchemist, the best at noticing vulnerabilities to influence anything, she felt there was a good chance of eliminating this enemy.
"It was just going to be a normal investigation. I don't know how it ended up like this. But it's time for me to see exactly what I'm up against," Séraphine replied. She had used a handkerchief to clean her face, but bloodstains still adorned her skin.
"Are you going to use that outdated ability of yours?" I don't know how you haven't given up on that curse yet. Special cameras and even my contact lenses can do the same thing as your so-called special vision." Despite their growing closeness, Francisca's opinion of Séraphine's visual ability remained unchanged.
She knew the story behind it, the result of an exhausting curse endured for seven years. Of course, many of the things people with this condition see are dismissed as hallucinations because the existence of this "other world," apart from the Spiritual World, has never been confirmed.
Francisca did not understand why Séraphine clung to seeing things that did not exist beyond her mind. Was it necessary to suffer for so long when she could have renounced the curse and been free of those terrifying visions that existed only in her mind?
Except for her occasional joking comments, however, Francisca always helped the witch create medicines that could alleviate the physical and mental effects of each "episode" caused by the curse, partly out of concern.
Séraphine did not respond to Francisca's words. She knew it was practically impossible to explain the strange things hidden behind the veil of reality. They were simply beyond humanity's comprehension.
People in the past who had decided to follow her path, accepting the curse and resisting the occasional attack to obtain the special Vision, were considered crazy.
In the past, those who obtained this ability were needed because they could see spiritual energy. This made them useful for resolving issues related to the spiritual world. However, Francisca said that they were no longer necessary in this era.
After all, there were special cameras and equipment, like the redhead's contact lenses, that served this purpose. There was no reason to endure so many confusing and terrifying experiences, but...
Séraphine was a stubborn witch! She wasn't extraordinary, but she was a woman who chose the magical arts as her path. She embraced her identity as a witch, integrating it into her being so completely that she could say her soul was shaped by this profession.
She knew the things her vision allowed her to see, though she couldn't understand them, were real. They were simply things that humanity could not accept. For example, there were stories of an Oracle who revealed events that would occur in the future, but she was not taken seriously until it was too late.
However, the knowledge she could gain from that strange world, as well as what her curse-derived ability allowed her to observe, made her persevere in her quest to unravel more of the mysteries of the Immaterial.
Her special vision was perfect for a witch who studied the immaterial. Her curiosity was strong, a requirement for the magical profession. How could she ignore a gift that opened the door to a broader landscape?
'One of these days, maybe I can let them see what I see,' thought Séraphine. She didn't understand why, but her intuition told her that, in the future, it might be possible for both Francisca and Élodie to understand her completely.
She didn't know why it had to be those two, but she thought it was a good idea nonetheless. Then, with a smile on her bloodstained lips, her green eyes emitted a warm emerald glow. This allowed her to see how the three different worlds blended.
Perhaps it was because she had just passed a test, according to Musu. However, Séraphine realized that, in this state, her visual perception seemed to increase. She hadn't noticed before when she observed the soul that supposedly had a failed spiritual core, but now these changes were evident.
Although the world twisted before her eyes, she could see a certain abnormal coherence in the distortion. The ground was filled with colorful fractals, as if she were looking through a kaleidoscope... but
'It doesn't hurt so much to look at it,' thought the witch. She felt that the discomfort she usually experienced when seeing things like this was much less, as if her mental resistance and capacity for acceptance had improved slightly.
She then focused her attention on Rubin, scrutinizing him without scruples. She no longer cared if he got angry or turned against her. She didn't care if the supposed hatred the red boy felt toward her worsened.
No one could stop her from getting the answers she wanted!
𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝
"You're so stubborn..." Seeing Séraphine's eyes shine, Francisca couldn't help but say it, and her smile grew wider. If the witch beside her wasn't stubborn, then who was she?
"I don't understand why Séraphine's eyes look like that, but if she needs support, I'm here," said Élodie, positioning herself on the witch's right side while the alchemist remained on her left.
The police officer looked exhausted, but put his hand on the witch's back in case she had a physical reaction when using her special vision.
"Hmm? Are you the new girl, Élodie Duval?" Francisca narrowed her eyes as she noticed the blonde's confident approach, but she soon nodded in agreement. According to Séraphine, the three of them were supposed to form an adventure team.
"You are Lady Zhang..." Élodie also paid attention to the redhead, but her formal tone made the alchemist frown.
"Don't call me that. Call me Francisca," the redhead said before looking at Madeleine and Sasha, who had approached the trio.
The fairy flew around the alchemist curiously, watching her cautiously. After all, humans are quite cruel to their species. Having never interacted with this newcomer before, the fairy decided to evaluate her carefully before making any decisions.
Madeleine, on the other hand, had heard a little about Lady Zhang, so she kept her distance because she genuinely feared her. However, since they had to deal with a common enemy, she had to make contact with her at least.
While Rubin continued to recover and Séraphine watched him with her special vision, the women introduced themselves and gave him a summary of their experiences since entering the fragment of the Spiritual World.
All of this was necessary if they were going to fight together when the spiritual creature inevitably recovered. Thus, Francisca's hypotheses about Rubin became more complete, making sense of what she had recently observed.
Suddenly, Séraphine staggered and was caught by Élodie and Francisca. They looked at each other for a moment before turning their attention to the witch, whose eyes had stopped shining and who had a rather strange expression on her face.
"That Rubin guy really is a silly boy, isn't he?" Séraphine murmured, not caring that the crimson boy's pink eye was fixed on her while the rest of his head was being rebuilt.
"Did you notice? He doesn't generate spiritual energy!"
Francisca's words caused Rubin, who was in the distance, to tremble slightly. His partially recovered body reacted to the alchemist's words.
"What are you saying!?" I... I'm not a failure!" The child's voice caused the others to confirm the redhead's words. She had no consideration when she replied.
"You're not even worth bombing! Your energy field has disappeared, hasn't it? How do you even exist? You're the result of something bound to go wrong." Francisca's tone was curious. She was genuinely interested in Rubin's existence.
"You're the one who's wrong!" the crimson child roared, standing up with his body almost recovered. However, the powerful presence that had been coming from him before had diminished, making him resemble a fragile candle flame.
"Do you know exactly what a spiritual core is? I don't really have any more information about them other than slight mentions in the books I have," said Séraphine, eager to satisfy her curiosity.
Although Rubin's threat was still present, it had clearly diminished. He was still dangerous, but no longer an insurmountable opponent as he had been at the beginning; rather, he was an accessible enemy.
"The thing is, those things shouldn't even exist. They're outdated theories, particularly in alchemy, where it was believed that everything was made up of 'nuclei' and that everything, especially energy, had one.
While the existence of atoms and their nuclei is real, they are quite different from those ideas. These are things that were never proven, especially in terms of energy.
Those who believe they can create an aether nucleus in their souls end up seriously damaging them, losing the ability to make them vibrate effectively. Meanwhile, no one has been foolish enough to try the same thing with spiritual energy because such attempts have caused catastrophes.
That's why information about these things isn't publicized. "I'm not surprised you hardly know about this concept. People want to avoid these kinds of harmful results for themselves or others," Francisca explained, upsetting Rubin, who didn't attack. There was fear in his pink eyes as he watched the redhead, especially her sniper rifle.
The alchemist's words made Séraphine feel a strange sensation in her gut. Had her teacher censored the books on this and other topics? Was that her way of protecting her? But now that she knew this key point, she could make more sense of what she saw in the spirit child.
"Tell me something, Rubin," Séraphine said, getting the young spiritual creature to pay attention to her.
"Were you aware of yourself when the spiritual energy of this place corrupted the animals and corpses of women here?" the witch asked. The child stiffened, taken aback by the question.
"No matter what answer I give you, you will attack me anyway, but yes, I did participate in it. Although I did not understand Howard's spell, I contributed greatly to his actions." A cruel smile appeared on Rubin's face. Séraphine nodded and made a stabbing gesture with her hand.
The aether manifested as a thin beam of energy shooting from the witch toward the spiritual creature. Since her previous advantage due to her spiritual energy field had almost disappeared, Séraphine's spell struck Rubin's body and pierced his chest.
"Finally! Enough talk! It's time to get even with you!" shouted Élodie. Despite moving more slowly than before, she ran toward the enemy with her war hammer in tow.
There was no energy covering her body; the enhancement was underperforming. However, the police officer was brave and didn't care that she wasn't at her full potential. She was going to hit Rubin with her hammer!
"Your new friend is quite fearless," Francisca commented to Séraphine before pointing her rifle at the crimson boy who had acted when Élodie approached him.
Although wounded by the witch's spell, which had reacted with the energy making up his body this time, he resisted the pain, determined to face the police officer's initiative.
He easily dodged the hammer blow from Élodie to his side before using his speed to punch the blonde in the abdomen, reminiscent of the previous blow that had knocked her out.
However, despite the power behind his punch, Élodie stopped it with one of her hands. She was not in excellent condition, though, so she was pushed back and her feet slipped on the floor.
Rubin tried to continue attacking her because she might be vulnerable now and weakened, and he was confident in his ability to do so. But Madeleine's tail fell on the spirit creature's body, crushing her small figure under its weight.
She had approached with a sudden movement, inspired by the way snakes use their bodies to leap and bite their prey. Now, the lamia's skin had turned green, and a pair of horns had grown on her head. She had used something she disliked.
For a Lamia like Madeleine, the serpentine nature was more than just an adjective describing her personality or actions. It was intrinsic to her species, which was not human but only partially resembled human beings.
Her current form was her true appearance. Her previous form could be considered a disguise that she used to interact with society, though it could also be said that it limited her.
Having grown accustomed to that form, which was better suited to social interactions, returning to her original form was difficult and exhausting, but it was a sign that she was special.
"Damn! Why are there so many special women around you, Séraphine?" asked Élodie upon seeing the state Séraphine was in, generating spheres of aether that floated behind her.
"Do you think the phrase 'the most beautiful of the lamias' was pure propaganda?" Those who know her know that Madeleine is a Lamia unlike the rest. That's why she has special abilities and is stronger than the rest of her species.
It's like the Alphas in the werewolves, the Nobles in the vampires, or the Queens in the fairies," Séraphine replied. She watched as Madeleine's body was pushed aside, revealing Rubin. He stood up and stepped back, looking carefully at the Lamia.
"How does it feel to be pinned to the ground?" Madeleine asked, causing the boy to frown as he understood the meaning behind her words.
They were taking it out on him! Rubin felt that his lack of energy was more dangerous than he had thought. Did that mean he was a failure, as they had told him? No, he wasn't!
"I will never be without freedom again!" Rubin shouted. Unlike before, however, the fragment of the Spirit World did not tremble. Several flashes of red energy appeared in front of him.
"Watch out!" Séraphine said, sending her aether spheres toward the crimson boy. He reached out his hand toward her and glared at her viciously.
Rubin did not focus on the other women, not even Francisca, who was the most threatening to him. Instead, he blocked the witch directly. The floating flashes fired red beams of energy that collided with the spells Séraphine had sent.
The clash between the two attacks caused a strong, energetic reaction. The reaction between the aether and spiritual energy caused purple lightning to surge and a strong, momentary flash of light.
Unlike Rubin, however, the witch had allies. When they became embroiled in this battle, Francisca took action. The redhead fired, hitting the same spot wounded by Séraphine's spell. This caused an explosion in the crimson boy's body.
Then, moving close enough to get him in her range, Élodie struck Rubin's shattered torso with her hammer, sending him flying into a column and causing it to collapse.
Madeleine approached, puffing out her cheeks. She exhaled a cloud of purple smoke that produced an audible sizzling sound upon contact with the rocks that made up the fallen column. Rubin cried out in pain as he felt the Lamia's venom corrode his body.
"Does this count as revenge?" asked an out-of-breath Élodie. She had not fully recovered from her previous exhaustion, and her actions had only made it worse.
"I suppose so," Séraphine replied, but something felt wrong. Her intuition was warning her of imminent danger, of which she was unaware.
The witch watched as Rubin rose from the rubble and narrowly dodged another blow from Élodie's hammer and a lash from Madeleine's tail. However, he was wounded again by a bullet fired by Francisca and a cutting spell from Séraphine.
One of his arms and legs lay on the ground. He stifled his cry, not wanting to appear weaker than he already was. His skin was covered in wounds and sores caused by poison. His clothes were torn, and pink blood, strange for a man, dripped from him, staining the floor.
His face contorted with rage, but his limited energy from previous reconstructions rendered him powerless. He looked at his attackers with hatred, but he knew he couldn't act; he had practically been defeated.
"I..." He didn't know what to say. Everything had started well for him. He was winning. He had demonstrated his power without any problems. He felt completely free after obtaining a physical form.
Now, however, he was only a shadow of his former self. His exuberant spiritual energy from years past had been consumed to regenerate after the shots he received from Francisca.
Even his recovery had slowed down. This allowed his enemies to recover and regroup. He was feeling the consequences of this firsthand at that moment.
Then, Rubin remembered something. He looked up and focused his attention on the outside, the Spiritual World, not the mere fragment in which he found himself. His instincts told him not to take that step, but his desperation at ending up in his current state made him take drastic measures.
"If I can't be free... then I'll take everyone with me! The crimson child murmured, causing Séraphine to feel a sense of dread because she knew.
What lay outside this fragment was not only the dangerous Spiritual World but also a higher entity she didn't want to remember because she didn't want to attract its attention.
"Don't do anything crazy!" the witch shouted, but Rubin gave her a malicious smile before placing his remaining hand on the ground and channeling his last bit of spiritual energy.
"DON'T THINK I'LL LET YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT!" Élodie took advantage of the enemy's movements to get closer to him. Her warhammer was covered in a thin layer of aether. But it was her expression at that moment that was worth paying attention to.
The blonde's blue eyes were bloodshot, and her mouth was slightly open like a predator about to pounce on its prey. Her weapon, raised high in the air, fell heavily on Rubin's head, crushing his face against the floor.
The initial impact caused small tremors that worsened over time, indicating that they were not caused by Élodie's actions; she did not have the strength for something like that.
Rubin had succeeded in fulfilling his purpose. The spiritual fragment had changed because of what the Crimson Child had done. Soon, these tremors were no longer mere disturbances but something much more serious.
The 'walls' of this space began to show cracks. The air itself seemed to have turned into broken glass, revealing a strange, dark reality outside.
"Damn it! That thing destabilized this fragment's space," Francisca complained, looking angrily at Rubin. Despite having been crushed, he laughed.
A child's laughter is usually cute, but when it comes from a spiritual creature like him, it's creepy. He no longer cared about the pain, his loss of energy, or his imminent end.
He knew he had won!
"You know it's out there, too! Right, Witch? You saw that barrier! You must have seen the hands playing with it. I don't know what they are, but they're much stronger than I am.
I see your fears; they're like fireflies around your head. I'll never be able to see real fireflies, but I know they exist. Is this a form of punishment for an imperfect life like mine?" Even though the hammer was still pressing down on his head, Rubin managed to turn his head slightly and use his pink eyes to take one last look at Séraphine, who had an ugly expression on her face.
"We have to run...!" Séraphine warned, but her voice stopped, and her eyes began to shine, allowing her to see the essence of things. Instead of focusing on those strange things, however, she focused on things related to the Spirit World.
The golden barrier covering this special space had broken, its pieces falling from the sky like rain and leaving everything exposed to...that. A pair of floating gray hands slowly approached as if choosing whom to snatch away.
"Everyone, close your eyes and other senses!" Francisca exclaimed, taking more drastic measures by removing her red contact lenses, revealing completely black irises similar to those of the population of her homeland.
Sasha hid in Séraphine's cleavage, not wanting to see what was happening. As a fairy, she could see things much better than humans could, so she had already closed her eyes tightly without needing to hear the alchemist's words.
The same went for Madeleine and Élodie. Neither of them had Séraphine's eyes or the special gifts of a Fairy Queen, but each possessed senses superior to those of humans.
The Lamia returned to her more human-like appearance, hiding her head with her tail as she curled up on the ground. As she did so, she had only one thought: If she got out of this alive, she would never engage in this kind of activity again.
The police had developed good perception skills in the army, so she simply turned away from Rubin, closing her eyes and distracting herself with random thoughts while focusing all her senses on her own body.
Élodie may not have been an expert on matters related to the spiritual world, but she had a lot of practical experience with related topics. In a way, you didn't need to know too much when you could solve everything with your hammer. However, she was grateful to have received good training in the army because she didn't want to be a victim of what was about to happen.
"Stop playing," a deep female voice echoed in the Spirit World. The voice of this unknown entity worsened the deterioration of the space as if this place were too small to contain their dialogue.
"I just wanted to see how these humans react," whispered another being. It was a woman's voice, and her words crept into the minds of those present as if they had always been there. They only understood gibberish, except for Séraphine.
"I want to finish my duty. Seriously, why do I keep finding elf stuff in our house?" the first presence complained. At that moment, something materialized in front of Rubin.
Like the child, this figure was red, but its body seemed to be made up of floating, vibrating points of energy. Some of the points were black and outlined the figure as if describing vague clothing.
The figure had no defined features except that it appeared humanoid. Séraphine saw the apparition of this being, and a name came to her instinctively, as if it were something every creature should know.
It was Calamity, or at least an avatar of this powerful spiritual being. A mere spiritual fragment could not withstand the arrival of something like her; her power was too great.
"I give you this child as a gift. I have no interest in him," Calamity said, dismissing Rubin with ease. The contempt in her voice was obvious.
"Are you interested in that Visionary? She's much bolder than those of the past," replied the other entity. Its hands reached out to the Crimson Child, who was under great pressure. He tried to resist, but one of those limbs was much larger than him and grabbed his body as if he were a chick.
Séraphine trembled, but a higher power held her head in place, forcing her to witness it all. Being closer to those hands, she could tell that their owner was another higher entity: the Whisperer. Or was it Whisperess? At this point, such nuances of language did not matter.
"A little. She smells like that annoying cat and the powerful, luminous bitch. It seems she was in contact with one of those disgusting creatures who only think about their own pleasure." The figure made of red dots approached the witch, reaching out to touch her face.
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to do that," said Musu, who had materialized on Séraphine's shoulder. She looked at Calamity with her golden eyes. Calamity laughed when she saw the cat appear.
"Do those on your side have any intentions? Who would have thought that there would still be humans who want to be Visionaries?" the female entity said, mockingly.
"Us? What could those guys, who are just eyes, flesh, and tentacles, do? No, but their teacher would give you trouble. This place can't handle your power very well. You didn't sense that woman in this little witch," Musu replied, flashing a human-like smile on his cat-like face.
"Huh? I can smell that her curse has matured and... Huh? Do you really have that woman's scent on you? HAHAHAHA! That's funny! It looks like you'll have another spectator in your life: a human.
I'll let you go. I have to deal with the remains of those stinking elves. How dare they say their sharp ears are better than mine?" Calamity said, waving her hand in a human gesture and shooing Séraphine away as if she were an annoying fly.
"You're too soft, Calamity," the other entity whispered again. Her response was to simply raise her right hand and generate an orb of black energy with red rays crackling inside it.
"I'll destroy everything here. Run," said Calamity. Séraphine felt a smile on that featureless head.
Then, the witch felt the power blocking her head disappear and her eyes return to normal. However, all she could see was white because what she had just witnessed was so shocking, both physically and mentally, that her brain had temporarily stopped processing images.
"What are you doing standing there? Move!" Élodie suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to flee this place, accompanied by a sense of danger that made the hairs on her body stand on end.
She noticed that not only had Séraphine frozen, but her eyes were shining again. She approached Séraphine and carried her over her shoulder, despite her fatigue.
Although it felt like a long time had passed, only a few seconds had elapsed since the witch and Francisca raised the alarm. After all, time always seemed distorted when she became too immersed in her special vision.
By the time she returned to the real world, the police were holding her. Instead of resisting, she simply let them carry her away because her psyche had taken a heavy blow, and she was quite dazed. Besides, she couldn't see anything at all.
The other women also felt the sudden urge to escape. Not that any of them did anything about it; no one wanted to deal with the most dangerous things in the Spirit World.
When they stopped hiding, they saw Rubin being squeezed and turned back into a red sphere of energy. It rose, piercing the darkness surrounding the spiritual fragment and disappearing completely.
They realized that those entities had apparently let them go, so they ran like never before, wanting to escape this ruined Spiritual World.
Along the way, they found that the corrupted creatures did not dare move, staying where they were and watching from a distance. Even Nisca, who had returned to her humanoid mushroom form, merely raised her hand to wave goodbye to the women before waiting for something.
The imminent destruction of this place. Calamity watched the human who had caught her attention escape before laughing loudly as the black energy ball in her hand expanded to cover her entire body.
"It would be fun if you had pointed ears, but not everyone can be as perfect as I," she said before leaving. After all, it was uncomfortable for her to squeeze into a place that barely allowed her to move properly.
The dark energy expanded uncontrollably, accompanied by red rays that screeched as they shook. Its influence spread everywhere, erasing whatever it touched.
No trace or residue remained in its wake. The elven ruins, the corpses of Howard Stone and his group, and even the corrupted animals of Nisca disappeared just like that.
When the women left the abandoned factory, they were met by a group from the Tower and police officers. Before they could explain anything, however, the entire building began to erode, leaving only an empty space.
Rather, a huge, perfectly formed crater appeared in the ground. Its shape made it look as if it had always been there; it was so well integrated into the natural surroundings.
But they knew; they had seen how it had formed.
"Séraphine, you have a lot to answer for." Sophia, the blue-haired nun, approached the unusually quiet witch, who was still being carried on Élodie's shoulder.
"It would be nice if you healed us, you know? My nose is broken." After a few moments without responding, Séraphine exploded, shaking her body and causing Élodie to stumble. However, Francisca was close by to hold her up.
"I thought you'd be traumatized. You must have seen those creatures coming, right? I almost thought our adventure group had broken up too soon!" The redhead's words caused Séraphine to stop moving, but not before she snorted. It sounded funny because her nose was still injured.
Meanwhile, Élodie looked at the alchemist curiously. She didn't expect her to agree to the strange idea that had occurred to the witch the night before. Perhaps because they had worked well together or because of the intimate moment they had shared, Séraphine told her about the idea, and she agreed to join.
"Huh? You joined, too? But it all just started yesterday!" the blonde said with a hint of surprise. For some strange reason, the tense atmosphere began to dissipate. So much so that Sasha, the rather shy fairy, came out of Séraphine's cleavage and floated up to Élodie's head.
"I'll join, too!" Sasha declared arrogantly before hiding again in Élodie's blonde hair to hide from the greedy glances of some policemen.
"Not me. I don't want to go through that again. I'm sorry," Madeleine apologized, receiving looks from the fairy, Francisca, and Séraphine. The latter climbed down from the police officer's shoulder.
"Um, girls, we need answers," Sophia interrupted, coughing slightly. The witch touched her hat and covered her eyes as she replied.
"I'm not going to say anything with my voice sounding like this. Heal me, Soph," Séraphine demanded. The nun used her red eyes to pressure her, but Séraphine remained silent, waiting to be healed.
"I'll give you a deep purification while I'm at it. You have Lady Zhang on your side. She can pay the cost." Finally, Sophia gave in. She raised her golden staff and channeled the power of Mother Light.
Seeing this, Séraphine realized that she had interacted with three of the four most powerful entities in the Spiritual World, either directly or indirectly.
'That's so unfortunate,' the witch thought as she gazed at the red sun on the horizon, bringing this eventful day to an end.