The Art of the Witch

Listening to Kui’s proclamation, Yue immediately furrowed her brows.

Herrera’s fate had been sealed the moment she betrayed the organization.

Back then, the organization was already plotting how to deal with Herrera after the war with the Magical Alliance ended, aiming to reclaim the Divinity Particles in her possession.

But alas, after Herrera’s defection, everything veered off course.

The war with the Magical Alliance never reached a decisive conclusion, and then the dimensional beasts launched a massive invasion, leading to the suppressed situation they faced now.

Herrera, naturally, became a secondary concern.

Ordinary organization members weren’t even aware of her betrayal; only the higher-ups knew, and their stance had softened over time.

Initially, they discussed crusading against Herrera to seize her Divinity Particles, but now they’d resigned themselves to reality, hoping she’d return.

“Do you really think this is feasible?”

Yue’s voice carried a trace of gravity.

“It’s better than meddling with Herrera, that unpredictable wildcard. Besides, the Roaring Giant Spirit has Plunder-Light-level strength.”

“Might have Plunder-Light-level strength!”

“They’ve already named it the Giant Spirit. It’s probably close enough, isn’t it?”

“Your idea is nothing but a castle in the air. If we’re not careful, we could face disaster.”

Yue spoke earnestly, “You know the consequences of making an enemy of Herrera.”

With that, Yue lost interest in continuing the conversation, turning to head upstairs, intending to have a servant show Kui out.

“I know about ‘the Box.’”

“!?”

Yue’s body froze, and she slowly turned back, shock flickering in her eyes for the first time.

“Where did you hear that?”

Kui merely said, “The existence of the Divinity Particles is critical to ‘the Box,’ so Herrera is indispensable to us.”

“I need concrete evidence.”

“You can choose not to believe me.”

“Then take this information and go after Herrera yourself.”

This time, the dismissal was final.

The two parted on bad terms.

****

After Kui left, Yue lost all desire for leisurely rest and sank onto the living room sofa.

‘The Box’ was the item the organization had been seeking for generations.

Not just them—every capable conglomerate, family, and government worldwide was searching for it.

It was said to hold the secret of the Sea of Realms, and whoever obtained and unlocked it could rule the world without lifting a finger!

No one knew where this rumor originated, but there were traces to follow.

The legendary Third Ancient Artifact, the Divinity Particles, and the Fifth Ancient Artifact were said to have come from ‘the Box.’

Some claimed to have seen it with their own eyes!

“The Roaring Giant Spirit was likely something Xingyue learned about from Herrera. So far, Herrera is the only one known to have faced it.”

Only through direct confrontation could one confirm the Roaring Giant Spirit’s Plunder-Light-level strength.

To earn such an evaluation spoke volumes about Herrera’s ability to hold her own, making her a target for recruitment by all sides.

“But to ignore a former comrade’s formidable strength and rely on an unknown creature from the Sea of Realms? Utterly foolish!”

Yue said coldly.

“They’re not even human—how can we trust them? It’s a path to self-destruction!”

“It’s foreseeable that Kui’s attempts to meddle with the Roaring Giant Spirit will bring catastrophe to the organization.”

“Lady Aula’s research institute has already mastered a new method of transformation, allowing humans to gain magical powers. There’s no need to take such reckless risks.”

“Kui… he’s probably too dangerous to keep around. Better to eliminate him. What a pity, though—he’s one of the organization’s top fighters.”

Yue pulled a special signal gun from her drawer.

****

Luo You felt like she was about to lose it.

Before her, Ji Yue and Liyun were putting on a wild display of theatrical rivalry.

“Red Oriole, hold on a bit longer. We’ll escape tonight.”

“Why are you helping me?” (stilted delivery)

“I can’t stand that witch harming the innocent, but I’m no match for her. At the very least, saving you doesn’t betray my principles.”

“And if that witch finds out, you’ll—” (stilted delivery)

“Cut! CUT!!!”

Luo You shouted through a megaphone, “You, little auntie, what kind of garbage acting is this?! Even a brainless idol could act better than you!”

“Ha!?” Ji Yue, for once, snapped at Luo You, her face darkening. “You dare insult me by comparing me to those people?!”

“Your acting is just that bad! Even the useless big sister over there is better than you—”

Liyun looked utterly aggrieved.

“What—”

“But as long as I’m not the one getting criticized, I’ll take being called useless.”

Luo You, fuming, tossed the megaphone aside and stormed over to Ji Yue, then reached out and fiercely slapped the “excess flesh” on her chest.

Luo You was so angry she nearly fainted.

“This is the acting of an art academy graduate? Which academy let you graduate? I’ll play your awful footage on a loop at their gates and ruin their reputation!”

Ji Yue’s brows twitched violently.

‘Insulted—not just as a magical girl with subpar abilities, but as an actress, degraded to being worse than an idol. The most venomous insult.’

“Can’t you put a bit more full-bodied emotion into your lines?”

“What do you want from me? This is my limit!”

“You’re getting cocky about it now, huh!?”

Luo You hadn’t expected her little auntie to completely give up. How could they continue filming like this?

Luo You’s face turned icy. “This won’t do, little auntie. You need to show emotion! Like you do with her!”

“Who?”

“Who do you think?” Luo You sneered. “Who else but that vixen?”

Ji Yue was struck speechless, realizing the “vixen” was Luo You herself.

“Just act like you’re facing that vixen, got it?”

“Right, right, like you’re dealing with that vixen!”

Grumbling, Luo You returned to the director’s chair.

Vixen or not, she knew her place.

“Action!”

Ji Yue and Liyun exchanged glances.

Then they slipped back into their roles.

“Red Oriole, hold on a bit longer. We’ll escape tonight.”

“Why are you helping me?” Ji Yue said coldly, “Did I ask for your help?”

That last line was entirely her own addition.

“Huh? Huh?” Liyun looked helplessly at Luo You.

Luo You’s expression twisted for a moment before she nodded vigorously.

“Keep going!”

Liyun followed the script: “I can’t stand that witch harming the innocent, but I’m no match for her. At least saving you doesn’t betray my principles.”

“You? Hah, if that witch finds out, you’ll be crushed to death.”

“…”

The scene progressed to the third act.

“Red Oriole, your master will teach you the art of slaying enemies. Study well, take this wooden stick, and attack me.”

“Turn around.”

“Huh?”

Confused, Liyun instinctively turned.

Whack!

“AAAAHHH!” Liyun let out a pained wail, clutching her backside as she dodged.

Ji Yue chased after her with the wooden stick, swinging or jabbing, leaving Liyun scrambling in a pathetic mess.

“Is this in the script?!” Liyun shouted at Luo You. “This is completely backward! I’m supposed to be the master!”

“Whatever! Just keep filming!” Luo You sounded almost resigned.

“If this can salvage little auntie’s hopeless acting, so be it!”

Instead of worrying about Ji Yue’s performance, it’d be better to figure out how to rewrite the script to make the current plot more coherent.

‘So, little auntie’s been thinking about beating me up this whole time?’

‘Who knew you were that kind of auntie? Not cherishing an adorable, charming Youyou like me, but just thinking about hitting me. Really… ugh!’

Luo You shook her head, exasperated at the wasted potential.

She tried putting herself in Ji Yue’s shoes—Liyun transformed into Luo You in her mind.

A brat pretending to be profound, acting all mature. It was infuriating just to look at.

‘Deserves a beating.’ Even Luo You thought so.

****

In the distance—

“They’re actually filming a movie?”

In the center of a flower field, Xingyue was peering through a telescope, observing the activity inside the mansion.

She didn’t dare use magic for close-range surveillance, fearing Herrera would notice.

But from what she could see, they were genuinely filming a movie, not some chaotic scheme as she’d imagined.

“But she’s appearing as Herrera, so the other two must be magical girls. Who are they?”

Magical girls around Herrera were either being persecuted or manipulated. Who knew if they’d already been compromised?

“No matter what, as the First Seat, I have to intervene. But how to do it is the question.”

Forcibly taking them away would provoke a fierce backlash from Herrera.

Using her own body as a bargaining chip for peace wasn’t an option either—Herrera likely wouldn’t agree.

Was she just supposed to watch?

Xingyue silently pulled out her phone and dialed Luo You.

“Hello? Jiu’er, what’s up?”

“Coach, are you getting used to the equipment?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s great! As expected from Jiu’er’s arrangements. Everything’s going smoothly here.”

“As long as you’re happy. Uh, sorry, but my equipment has a tracking device. Yesterday, my phone pinged me that it’s in the Northwest. Is that right?”

“Uh, yeah, that’s correct. Don’t worry, I’m not stealing your stuff. You know my character, right?” Luo You said, a bit embarrassed.

What a situation.

“No, no, no, that’s not what I meant! Don’t misunderstand, Coach! I’m not doubting you. I was just curious. That equipment’s not worth much to me—I’d give it to you if you wanted!”

“Oh, no need for that, it’s too valuable. Here’s the deal: I’m filming a movie in the Northwest. You know, the scenery here is amazing. I’ll send you some photos.”

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong—

A whole set of pictures came through on WeChat, though none showed the actual filming site.

Xingyue couldn’t help but chuckle after looking at them.

‘Terrible photography skills.’

“Coach, I’ve got some free time now. Can you tell me about the movie you’re shooting? In such a beautiful place, it’s gotta be a period drama, right?”

“…Sort of!” Luo You thought to herself.

The world’s setting was a martial arts universe, so it could count as a period drama.

“For a period drama, there’s gotta be some spicy stuff, right?” Xingyue teased.

“No way! I’m a proper lady. Spicy stuff? Absolutely not! I don’t stoop to that level!”

Luo You declared righteously.

“I’m all about art, not sleaze!”