The legs trembled beasked neath her, one arm cutching her ribs, skepticism as she fought to stay upright. Pain was written across her face, but her eyes were defiant too, like she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break.
"Witch's Cult? I don't know who the heck you guys are, but you two came at the wrong time."
Lye let out a maniacal giggle, eyes wild and unhinged, "Heehee... Don't be like that, Tiamat-sama! We're here to bring you to our home—our sacred, beautiful home! Where we worshipped you... adored you... sacrificed for you!! Hahaha!! As expected from our beloved witch!!"
Crusch narrowing her eyebrows, took a quick glance to Kyoko. Her face literally asked the black-haired woman a thousand questions, with scepticism. But, those feelings faded away when she saw Kyoko's full reaction.
"I don't know who are you talking about, " A sudden gust lifted her black hair, swirling around. Her golden eyes shone in the dark as she spoke chillingly in her voice, "But you shouldn't address someone by the wrong name."
"Don't be so mad, Tiamat-sama!! We're here also because we heard our pet has been slain and look at this bounty! I expected them to be a good, ripe bunch, considering they managed to kill a beast that had been rampaging unchecked for 400 years... But this is beyond my expectations!!!"
Regulus placed his hand on his waist, his tone sounded ignorant. His eyes never leave Kyoko, and his smile curled wider, "You can relax now, Tiamat-sama. I'm nothing like that over there. I hate fighting and stuff. I only want to escort you back to your rightful place. All that "hunger" and "thirst" nonsense? Such pretty self-indulgences are beneath me."
Kyoko stood firmly in front of Crusch and Rem, her body tense and eyes narrowed into a sharp, furious glare. The peaceful silence of her rest had been shattered — and the two Witch Cult Archbishops, Regulus, and Lye, were to blame. Rage simmered just beneath the surface as she stepped forward, deadly serious like a storm waiting to break.
Her fist clenched until her knuckles turned white, "You guys are really good at ruining girls's naps. Do you know that I have to face this trouble of my body because my Reinhard isn't here?"
"Huh? What are you saying, Tiamat-sama?" Regulus asked in an arrogant voice.
"I... I TRIED MY BEST, OKAY!!? CAN'T YOU GUYS JUST GIVE ME ONE GODDAMN HOUR FOR ME TO REST!!? TIAMAT, WITCH CULT, GREED, GLUTTONY!!! FUCK IT ALL!! I TOLD YOU THAT MY NAME ISN'T TIAMAT!! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THE HECK IS SHE!!!—Oh, wait, I know her actually—BUT I'M NOT A WITCH!!! STOP ADDRESS ME WITH THAT FUCKING NAME!!!"
Everyone was left in stunned silence when Kyoko suddenly lashed out. Her rage, fierce and uncontrolled, was something none of them had anticipated. For someone who usually kept her emotions tightly in check—sometimes— this outburst took them all by surprise, leaving them struggling to comprehend the depth of her anger.
Regulus remained silent for several seconds before he narrowed his eyes deeper. His golden eyes shone in the dark beneath his bangs; his voice became deep and intimidating, "Lye."
Lye, on the other side, was ready with his dual knives. Crusch and Rem who saw his actions, instantly posited them in combat stance.
"Tiamat-sama doesn't remember herself. You know what it means, right? If she doesn't remember herself, then... We have to take her by force." Said the white-haired man.
"Try to kidnap me, bastard?"
"Well, I have to hold myself, you know. If it's not because of our Vainglory order, I already take you as my wife. You're perfect as my ideal wife but... Your attitude isn't. Of only you surrender by your own will, I won't hurt you. I already said that I hate fighting and this stuff."
Lye laughed maniacally from the other side, "Hahahaha!!! You have the guts to take a witch as your wife, Regulus!! You know that Vainglory will be mad if you touch a single strand of her hair!!"
Regulus sighed, "Oi! I was speaking over here!! Can't you just shut up your goddamn mouth and let me talk!!? That was a violation of my right to speak——"
"Are you done talking?"
A question from Kyoko's mouth instantly silent both of the Archbishop. The gust of wind whipped through the air, tossing her hair wildly as she prepared to face the two Archbishops. Several ice icicles formed above her and her teams.
"Tiamat-sama, have you ever listened to me? I hate fighting."
"Doesn't make you're allowed to kill my innocent comrades."
Kyoko looked behind her and whispered to Crusch and Rem, "I leave the gluttony to you two. For that motherfucker greed, I will deal him personally."
*
*
*
The Sin Archbishop of Greed stepped onto the battlefield as if the ground itself should bow beneath him. Not a speck of dirt touched his immaculate white suit. His eyes glinted with contempt, and his voice was as venomous as it was calm.
"Alright, alright, alright. I got it. Your love for humanity isn't something easy to understand. Just like how our Vainglory stated, you're the one only witch who truly loves humanity but, isn't that same as hypocrisy? Why would you love humanity when you're the one who destroyed humanity?"
Kyoko didn't answer. Talking cost energy. She gripped the hilt of her katana, now just a simple blade. No mana left to transform it—unless she timed it perfectly.
Regulus sighed dramatically, "Don't tell me you think you can fight me like that. One woman, out of breath, shaking, completely—"
She didn't let him finish.
Without a warning, she charged.
He didn't move. He didn't need to move. Space bent around him. Her body froze mid-swing, muscles seizing up as his Authority clamped down on her like iron chains.
"Predictable," He muttered, stepping forward and placing a hand casually on her face, "You people never learn. I am the ultimate truth. The world bends to me. What you call power, I—"
A flicker. Her blade shifted. Not by spell, but by sheer will. The katana twisted in her hand, morphing from a mere blade to a scythe, catching the corner of Regulus's wrist just as she twisted her head away from his touch.
The scythe scraped across his skin.
He blinked, "What did you—"
Kyoko spun, ignoring the blood now rushing from her side where the Authority's pressure had crushed her ribs. The scythe became a flail, then a spike, morphing with instinct, not magic.
"You're not invincible," she gasped, spitting blood, "You're just untouched."
Regulus snarled. For the first time, his mask cracked, "HOW DARE YOU—!"
Kyoko hurled her scythe into the ground, transforming it into a wall of pikes. She wasn't aiming to kill—she was aiming to stall. The land groaned, reacting to her will, and the spears burst upward, buying her moments—seconds—to breathe, to think.
She had no more magic, no backup, no plan.
But Regulus was bleeding.
CRACK-----!!!!!!
The wall of spikes shattered like glass.
The Archbishop of Greed did not merely dash to her, nor did he remain rooted where he stood—he arrived as if summoned by fate itself, in the blink of an eye, standing before her with divine certainty.
"Do you think I'm going to wait for you behind this wall!!?"
Kyoko's eyes widened, shocked by his attack. She thought her wall could buy her time to think about a backup plan—or escape plan—but this man casually destroyed all her chances to survive.
She raised her palm, screaming for help from hell, "AL GOA!!!"
BOOOOMMMMM!!!!!
A violent spiral of fire erupted from her hand—huge, fast, and burning hot. The grass ignited in an instant as the flames surged forward like a dragon made of pure destruction. The very air warped from the heat.
The firestorm roared straight at Regulus, swallowing everything in its path.
Kyoko didn't blink.
She watched the flames consume him.
But when the fire faded…
He was still standing.
No burns. No scratches. Just the same arrogant look on his face.
"You.... gotta kidding me....?"
Kyoko took a step back. Her heart thudded—once, sharply.
Her breathing hitched.
She didn't understand.
How could humans possibly survive those attacks?
No, in the first place, is he truly a human?
She clicked her tongue. Her hands clenched into fists. Her body still hummed with magic, but her strength was waning. She had to end this now.
She raised her hand to the sky, channeling every last drop of her mana into the spell. A violent, crackling pressure filled the air as if the sky itself was about to tear open.
And then, the ground trembled beneath her feet.
A roar of magic rang out, so loud it shook the air. The sky above split open with a deafening sound, and from the heavens, a massive sword—larger than any human had ever seen—plummeted toward the battlefield. The blade gleamed with a silver light, the edge sharp enough to slice through mountains.
Its sheer size dwarfed everything around her. It was a weapon born of pure magic, and it was aimed at Regulus, the weight of it capable of splitting the world in two.
Kyoko's body quaked from the immense strain. She could feel her mana being drained, her body growing weaker with each passing second. This spell was too much; it was eating away at her, and the cost was too high.
"KINGU!!!!"
She screams, unlike the one she uses against the White Whale.
The sword descended like a falling star. It cut through the clouds, its magic radiating in every direction, cracking the earth beneath Kyoko's feet. The sheer force of its presence pushed her to her knees, blood leaking from her nose, but she kept her eyes locked on Regulus.
Regulus stood still, his eyes cold, watching the blade fall. There was no movement from him. Not yet.
Then, just before the sword hit, Regulus finally reacted.
In a blur, his arm raised—his hand glowed with a strange, cold energy. He was rejecting the very concept of force.
The sword slammed into the ground with an earth-shattering crash, a shockwave of magic tearing through the plain. Dust and debris shot into the air, and the impact rattled the entire landscape.
For a split second, Kyoko thought she had succeeded.
But then she saw him.
"No way...."
Regulus stood unharmed, the giant sword buried just inches from his feet, and in his eyes was that same unreadable, chilling calm.
"Alright, playtime is over, " He said softly, his voice as calm as ever. His eyes focused on something behind Kyoko, "Do your job, Lye."
Before Kyoko could turned her head over her shoulder, she felt a small hand cover her face. Her eyes widened open for the shock. She had been careless; she shouldn't have focused on Regulus only.
There's another enemy behind her.
"THANK YOU FOR THE FEAST, TIAMAT-SAMA!!! TIME TO GO HOME!!!"
The gluttony caught her.
*
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*