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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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Evangeline, taking to the skies, shot forward, fueled by her overflowing mana. It was a speed that defied reaction, but Linna, without hesitation, shouldered her rifle and fired.
Her aim, honed by centuries of experience, was impeccable. The bullet found its mark.
Evangeline, who had been flying straight towards them, seemingly unconcerned by the projectile, spun and plummeted to the ground.
“…What was…?”
“Holy shit, it’s the Flying Witch! Run!”
The two witches fled as Evangeline, landing gracefully, wiped a trickle of blood from her cheek.
The bullet had pierced through her magical barrier. It was similar to Johan’s magic nullification…
‘No, it’s different.’
Johan’s magic nullified magic, making it disappear completely. This bullet had pierced through her magic.
Not nullification, but annihilation. Evangeline, realizing the nature of her foe, smiled and began walking.
The magic of annihilation. Though offensively superior to Johan’s nullification, its versatility was limited.
“I can’t approach recklessly.”
Her opponent was like a wasp with a venomous stinger. She could crush it, but she risked being stung in the process.
Evangeline, her mind racing, formulated several strategies for capturing the Witch of Annihilation, then slowly began to close in.
This was her forest. There was nowhere for them to run.
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“Come on, run!”
“Pant, pant—hng…!”
Linna dragged Lynne through the forest. If they had as much mana as the other witches, they could have flown like Evangeline, but as twins, they possessed only half the usual amount.
Moreover, annihilation and creation weren’t suited for flight. At least, not their versions of those magics.
“Gasp, gasp—!”
The snow-covered terrain sapped their strength. This was dangerous.
“She’s coming—!”
Linna felt a surge of mana and quickly pulled Lynne to the ground. They were enveloped in cold snow as a wave of energy washed over them.
A mana blast, the most basic magical attack, available to any witch. Yet its simplicity revealed the vast difference in their power.
The witch of this forest was no ordinary witch. This wasn’t an opponent they could defeat with brute force. They needed a strategy.
—Finished running?
“Eek—!”
The voice echoed from all directions. Even though they knew Evangeline’s location from the flash of her previous attack, the disembodied voice made them question their perception.
Linna realized they were being hunted. It was only natural. This was the witch’s territory, and they were intruders, unprepared.
Unprepared hunters became prey.
“Damn it, Lynne! Do it!”
“…But.”
“No buts! We’re going to die anyway!”
Linna kissed Lynne, a deep, intimate kiss, a transfer of magical energy. She pulled away, wiping her mouth in disgust, and leaned against Lynne, slightly dizzy.
“You… have to… succeed…”
“—Mm.”
Lynne, having received her twin’s magic, became a single, powerful witch. While Linna wielded the magic of annihilation, Lynne wielded the magic of creation. She envisioned a way to escape this situation.
She didn’t need to visualize it in detail. All she had to do was set the parameters, and her magic would create the most suitable object.
A war machine, larger than Fenrir, whom they had just slain.
A magical golem, capable of flight, armed with guns and magic.
An MTB (Magical Titan Bot).
“What…?”
Lynne stared in awe at the MTB, which lifted her into the air. It was a design that existed only as a blueprint, lacking the infrastructure for its creation, but her magic had made it real.
Inside the MTB, Lynne felt invincible. Anyone piloting a giant robot would feel the same.
She located Evangeline and took aim—then the MTB was sliced in half and crashed to the ground.
“Huh…?”
“What’s this toy?”
Evangeline, having casually walked beneath the MTB and sliced it with a flick of her wrist, tilted her head, looking at the easily cleaved machine with a puzzled expression.
“Why are you using magic?”
“Ah…”
“Your mana levels… I see. You gave your magic to her, since her magic didn’t work on me?”
Evangeline chuckled, having instantly grasped the situation, then grabbed Lynne by the hair.
“How foolish. Her magic was more dangerous. Why would you do that?”
“Let… let go…”
“Hm? Answer my question first. I hate… foolish people.”
Evangeline found their decision baffling. Adapting their strategy after a failed attack was commendable.
But switching their magic before fully understanding their opponent was a mistake. Evangeline found the magic of creation far less troublesome than the magic of annihilation.
If they had worked together, coordinating their attacks, she might have been in danger, but they hadn’t.
“You’re not going to answer? Fine. Then I’ll just finish this quickly and go back and have some t—”
Snip—
Evangeline, about to lift Lynne off the ground, felt her hand fall off. Before the pain registered, she felt a surge of rage.
Johan’s ring, which he had given her, was on that hand, and it was now covered in blood, dirt, and snow.
Evangeline, her face expressionless, looked at Linna, who had severed her hand. Linna grinned, pleased with herself.
“Heh, thanks for the tip…”
“You… bitch.”
“Ugh—Mmph! Gah—!”
Evangeline, ignoring the searing pain in her wrist, repeatedly slammed her severed hand into Linna’s face, crushing it. She didn’t care that her own hand was being mangled in the process.
She felt no pain, no humiliation at being injured by such an insignificant witch. Just pure, unadulterated rage.
Rage at the vile creature who had defiled Johan’s ring.
She unleashed her fury.
“S-stop! You’ll kill her…!”
“That’s the idea.”
“Please, stop…!”
Lynne clung to Evangeline, using her own body as a shield.
“I’ll do… anything… just please… spare Linna…”
“…Hmm…”
Evangeline, hearing Lynne’s plea, released Linna and picked up her severed hand.
She pressed it against her wrist, roughly reattaching it, then frowned and tried to move her fingers. They were stiff, unresponsive. The beating she’d given Linna with her severed hand hadn’t done it any favors.
Lynne, seeing Evangeline struggling, quickly spoke.
“Your hand…! I can… heal it…!”
“Really? I see…”
“So please…”
Evangeline pretended to consider, a classic witch negotiation tactic. She had already decided to spare them.
She had already vented her anger, and further violence would be a waste of energy.
If she could enslave them, that was the more logical choice. And Evangeline was nothing if not logical.
“Fine. If you heal my hand.”
Evangeline, her hand restored, smiled and slipped Johan’s ring back on her finger. Then she took the unconscious Linna and the trembling Lynne back to the cabin.
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The door opened, and Evangeline, shivering, entered the cabin. She shuddered at the sudden change in temperature and groaned.
“Ugh… Johan—could you bring me some tea?”
“Yes, Master.”
Johan, who had been waiting for her, quickly prepared and served her tea.
Evangeline, warming her hands with the hot cup, smiled.
“Huh, Master. Your hands… look better.”
“O-oh? Really? Maybe the cold… dried them out…?”
“The cold doesn’t make your hands prettier…”
Evangeline, caressing her hand, glanced towards the door. Johan followed her gaze and rushed to the door, opening it.
“No—!”
He heard Evangeline’s cry, but it was too late. He saw two witches huddled outside, shivering.
One with long hair, her face and hands red from the cold, and the other with short hair, her face covered in blood.
“…Master?”
“What… what is it?”
“Who are they?”
“My slaves…?”
Johan, unable to comprehend why she would bring more witches to the cabin, especially in their injured state, in the middle of winter, brought them inside.
Two more witches.
His worst nightmare had come true.
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