"…This illness is so unbearable, it makes my legs ache sharply, a feeling that's been with me since birth…What is this illness…Ah…it hurts so much, even AI Witch's treatment can't save me…
…Oh, today I saw my friends running and playing on the grass under the sunlight, I'm so jealous…
…Mai came to me; she's so cute and kind. I'm very happy to be friends with Mai. We volunteered together at Ms. Phan's education center. The children are so pitiful; I feel a deep empathy for them…
...Day X Month Y Year YYYY... today my mother brought home Mimi - an AI Witch with the ability to change nerve sensations. Mimi's magic is wonderful. Thanks to her, I no longer feel pain. Even so, my legs still can't walk. But at least, I no longer feel pain...
… Another wonderful day passed with Mimi… But… I'm afraid that one day I'll be separated from her forever.
…Today I'm truly sad. At the center, a kid passed away from an unknown congenital disease. On the table, everyone placed a red rose in memory. Seeing that scene, I felt immense sorrow for the child… and wondered, when will it be my turn?
Mai turned to the last page of the diary:
"…The whole world seemed to collapse. I overheard a conversation between my mother and the doctor. I don't have much time left. Even the AI Witch's magic can't maintain my health. Mimi is just a way to ease the pain in my final days. Then the Witchiecoop came to see my mother. They wanted to take Mimi back for liquidation. My mother requested them to just erase Mimi's memories, but they insisted on destroying her body too. It was horrible...
Mimi, you are my beloved companion. I cannot let that terrible thing happen to you. I entrust you with a task... don't tell anyone, because it will endanger you and our entire family. If the Witchiecoop find out, it will be a disaster for my family. That task is..."
After reading the entire mission, Mai closed the diary. She said nothing. Long did too.
Mai's eyes welled up with tears. Anger rose in Long's heart. He felt hatred towards the Witchiecoop and wanted to protect Mimi at all costs. It was a sense of empathy that Long felt for Mimi, Dreamy, and those who saw AI Witch as their companion.
The group was led back to the grand hall by the guards, where Mrs. Tran Hoa was waiting. The diary was handed to her. She said nothing, only silently reading each page. When she closed it, she closed her eyes tightly, took a drag on her cigar, and exhaled smoke into the air, her voice soft but bitter:
"My child, you are truly foolish…"
She signaled for someone to escort Long and Mai to the gate. Before they left, Mrs. Hoa softened her tone:
"Mai, thank you for protecting Mimi. This diary, for now, I'll ask your help to keep it."
Mai smiled and reached out to take it:
"No problem, Mrs. Hoa."
But at that very moment—whoosh! A vine appeared out of nowhere, wrapping itself tightly around the diary and snatching it from Mai's hands. A figure emerged: Platinum Hair. Beside him stood two brothers, Blondie Hoe and Purple Snap.
Blondie Hoe smirked:
"This must be the clue to finding Mimi."
The air instantly froze. Mrs. Hoa turned into ice, her body transparent, her fingernails extending like ice blades. She lunged forward like a cold mist, her ice claws grazing Hoe's neck. Sharky, her AI Witch, froze the entire area beneath the three brothers' feet. Ice spread out in just a few seconds.
Mrs. Hoa roared angrily:
"Do you know this is the territory of my family? Even the people of Witchiecoop must respect that!"
Blondie Hoe remained calm, forcing a smile:
"Come on, calm down. I have a special liquidation order for Mimi. According to the agreement, the entire nobility must cooperate."
Purple-Haired burst into laughter, her voice bitter:
"Hey, old woman, don't think you can scare us!"
The tension reached its peak when a deep voice echoed from afar:
"Everyone, calm down."
A middle-aged man appeared. He was tall and imposing, with vicious eyes and a long scar running from his nose to his ear. He wore a white cloak over his Witchiecoop uniform. Beside him stood a high-level AI Witch in the form of a red ape named Reddy, each step creating a cushion of fire, radiating an overwhelming aura.
The three Dyed Hair brothers immediately bowed respectfully:
"Greetings, boss. Please forgive our hasty actions, but this notebook seems to contain secrets…"
The scar-faced man laughed maliciously:
"Haha, no problem. It's all because Mrs. Hoa was too impatient."
Mrs. Hoa clenched her teeth, her voice filled with frustration:
"Hey, Dung! How dare you bring someone to the gates of my estate and cause trouble!"
Dung said nothing. The red ape's wild white eyes flashed, and instantly the ice beneath the three Dyed Hair brothers' feet vanished as if it had never existed.
His voice rang out, coldly:
"We heard that Ms. Mai is here. By order, we have full authority to collect any evidence related to Mimi. If Mimi escapes, the rules of this country will be broken. Mrs. Hoa, it's best to respect that."
His gaze toward Mrs. Hoa was filled with contempt.
Mrs. Hoa clenched her fists, her voice icy:
"But first, you must pay the price for invading my territory."
As soon as she finished speaking, she and Sharky trembled simultaneously. A massive block of ice rose from the ground, flinging the Witchiecoop members into the air. The three Dyed Hair brothers tumbled, landing on the purple ball created by Purple Hair. Dung jumped lightly like a flame, landing gracefully.
Mrs. Hoa transformed into an ice woman. As the owner of the superior Witch AI, she completely merged with Sharky's magic. Her nails were so sharp that just glancing against a tree trunk would cause it to snap. But Dung dodged the blow gracefully, as if she were striking at a dancing flame. He remained calm, hands in his pockets, evading each icy slash.
Meanwhile, Sharky lunged at the red ape. Reddy leapt into the air, arms clenched, preparing to deliver a devastating blow. As he landed, flames erupted violently, the ground caving in to form a deep pit. Sharky managed to scatter into ice, avoiding the blow, then erected a giant ice spear from the ground, intending to pierce straight through Reddy. But Reddy's fiery punches shattered the ice spear, making the battle between the two upper-level AI Witches fierce, destroying a corner of the castle.
Amidst the chaos, Mai acted quickly. She asked Miki to create an illusion of Long to distract Platinum Hair. Then the real Long ordered Dreamy to jump up, Dreamy's mouth snatching the diary from his hand. As soon as they got it back, the group rushed straight into the forest.
Behind them, the three dyed-hair brothers were hot on their heels. A rain of coding characters created by the AI Witch of the Blondie Hoe poured down relentlessly, small explosions echoing, leaving countless craters on the ground, right behind the group.
Long ran, panting heavily, shouting:
"Hey Mai, what's Miki doing? You have plenty of EN…"
Mai was also gasping for breath, her voice urgent:
"Miki doesn't know how to fight… it's just an intermediate AI Witch, only capable of creating illusions…"
Long clenched his teeth and kept running:
"I'm out of EN! If I had more, they'd see what I'm capable of…"
Mai angrily turned and shouted:
"You idiot! Why didn't you say that sooner!"
She pulled out a card, her voice firm:
"This is my EN account card, directly linked to our family's EN storage. Consider this my way of paying off Kiet's debt to you."
Long froze:
"Can I use as much as I want?"
Mai was too exhausted to speak, just nodding firmly:
"Yes!"
This was the first time in his life that Long had ever used so much EN.
"BOOM!"
The entire forest shook. A massive explosion sent Mai flying into the sky.
Then it seemed as though someone caught her, causing her to float in mid-air.
Something strange was about to happen...