Mission Accomplished

Seeing the civilians of Laita City affected, feathers formed from condensed magic essence began appearing on Yuffie, who stood upon the city wall.

They gradually constructed a white barrier, completely blocking out the destructive, azure-tinged miasma and its aura.

This kept the civilians of Laita City from being harmed.

“Your Excellency, the Holy Maiden!”

The surrounding guards witnessed this scene and couldn’t help but feel concerned about Yuffie’s strange condition.

A spell of this magnitude could not possibly be cast without some cost to Yuffie’s current body.

“I’m fine. Take the civilians away from here first.”

Yuffie tilted her head, signaling the knights to act quickly, while she herself remained motionless where she stood.

But a sudden turn of events occurred that even Yuffie hadn’t anticipated.

From a small, inconspicuous wound, a creature that could turn people into Blood Slaves emerged.

Fortunately, the Holy Maiden on the city wall reacted swiftly, instantly conjuring a curtain of light to minimize the creature’s influence.

But it was too late; on the system map, the location of Laita City had already turned gray.

It had been breached.

And the cause was merely a scratch, which had “infected” the civilians closest to it.

“What is this?”

Su Ran was taken aback, instinctively touching the head of the witch he controlled, wanting to understand the information about the creature before him.

“I don’t know.”

The black mist absorbed from the beast tide seemed different from the miasma surrounding Su Ran.

The miasma on Su Ran’s side wasn’t a cause for concern, but Isa was actually worried about it, not understanding this thing either.

[Fresh Blood Attire, Sequence Five]

The timely information from the system indicated that Isa was currently using the flesh and blood she had absorbed from the beast tide to supplement her own body, growing flesh and wings.

Pulsating flesh and a flowing, viscous liquid enveloped her.

Su Ran knew that even if he couldn’t pause the game, he could minimize the damage to the newly formed Blood Slaves.

Facing the Blood Slaves crawling out from his own body, Su Ran had no choice.

He didn’t even know what kind of mission he would receive if he defeated it.

The Sequence Five Holy Maiden on the city wall focused on protecting the civilians behind her.

The light curtain had become her last line of defense, leaving her with no way to fight back.

Even the bloody foam that splattered when the holy light scattered the Blood Slaves could infect others.

It seemed they could only be cleansed by the holy light.

If one was careless and failed to dodge, they would become nourishment for the Blood Slaves.

This disgusting scene felt vaguely familiar to Su Ran.

Faced with this situation, he had the witch under his control spread her hands, look at the frightened civilians in the city, and give a slight nod.

He mustn’t do anything that would make the Holy Maiden see the witch as an enemy.

As Su Ran controlled Isa, a faint shadow seemed to flicker across his face.

The jade pendant on Su Ran’s chest continuously emitted a crackling sound, and he finally understood why he insisted on staying.

To a Sequence Five witch, this level of infection was not a major issue.

The most important thing was the buzzing in his ears—the call of the Source of Witches.

If he let his guard down for even a moment, his entire being would succumb to the contamination of the Blood Slaves.

However, for Su Ran, this was just a minor problem, and he even had the spare energy to advance Isa’s agenda.

[Isa needs to personally defeat ten Sequence Two beast tide monsters, mission progress 5/10]

This was because the post-battle settings had been triggered, making the game’s sound effects much louder.

In front of him were only Sequence Two beast tide knights, and he could not hear their whispers.

The whispers on this battlefield were likely inaudible to him as well.

This feeling of being completely controlled and unable to resist was oppressive for Su Ran.

‘I don’t have time to mess around with you here, I still have a mission to complete.’

Su Ran selected a time-limited [Judgment Scythe], and on the skill bar, a one-time-use icon resembling a bank card was consumed.

A giant Scythe of Judgment, belonging to a Sequence Six demon, appeared in the sky, its tip aimed at the Blood s*ave knight.

‘This is the Judgment Scythe? How can a purple-haired witch use this kind of magic!’

With the appearance of the scythe, Yuffie, who had been calmly commanding her forces, finally showed a change in expression.

She felt her own magic essence react, letting out a low hum.

She had never seen anyone capable of conjuring such a massive Scythe of Judgment in the sky.

Su Ran hated to admit it, but compared to the magic cast by the purple-haired witch, their own magic felt more orthodox.

The Blood s*ave knight below, upon seeing the appearance of the Scythe of Judgment, didn’t seem to realize anything was wrong.

It had no will of its own; it merely followed the command issued by its “mother.”

The long spear it had just raised was guided by that command.

Su Ran watched as the long scythe slowly materialized in the sky.

Its initial formation was not fast, but the process of its descent steadily accelerated.

The first target the Scythe of Judgment touched was the blood-red vortex in the sky.

With a single “pop,” the witch’s spell was shattered by the Scythe of Judgment.

The magic was pulverized into fragments.

He felt a shiver run down his spine as he watched this scene unfold.

‘What level of magic is this?’

‘Why does this kind of magic have to target me?’

The spell of the Scythe of Judgment seemed deceptively simple; its target was only that single Blood s*ave knight.

No matter what choice he made, the outcome was the same.

With a loud “boom,” a blood-red mushroom cloud erupted.

The position where the Blood s*ave knight had been was no longer visible.

All that remained was a deep crater where the blood armor had stood.

Looking at the untouched city wall just outside the city, and then at the unharmed…

That woman was truly formidable.

If she had continued to advance toward the Scythe of Judgment, that deep pit outside the city would have become Laita City’s final resting place.

Facing the purple-haired witch still standing in the sky, Yuffie felt a profound sense of powerlessness well up in her heart.

She had never spoken to a member of a hostile race before, and for a moment, facing the witch who stood among the humans in the city, she was at a loss for words.

However, the witch’s gaze was not on Yuffie and the others.

Her eyes were focused on the final potion mission that remained.

[Isa needs to personally defeat ten Sequence Two beast tide monsters, mission progress 10/10]

[Please resolve the beast tide crisis in Laita City as soon as possible, 1/1]

[Mission Complete]

Looking at the magic that no longer existed around Laita City, save for the lingering presence of the Scythe of Judgment, he thought, ‘Was I supposed to complete the mission in such a straightforward way?’

Su Ran touched his own hair, adjusting to the third form that had appeared after his transformation.

It was the appearance of a handsome young man, which made him accustomed to this body.

Fortunately, the simulated body didn’t have a long lifespan, so it wouldn’t be immortal.

Su Ran sighed; he hadn’t expected to use the Scythe of Judgment.

After clearing out the remaining Blood Slaves, he would bid farewell to Laita City.

After finishing the last bottle of potion, Su Ran would rendezvous with Isa and Philly.

Once they were reunited, he would drink the potion, exit the game, and return to his new life!

Thinking of this, Su Ran had no other plans, waiting until he could stand again before deciding what to do.

Two years was enough time to travel to many places, and finding a girl to fall in love with would be a good plan.

Suppressing his excitement, Su Ran looked back at the blue-haired woman standing on the city wall, and his emotions churned.

Sensing Su Ran’s gaze upon her, Yuffie, whose body was draped in a pure white robe, was slightly taken aback.

At the same time, she realized that the purple-haired witch was looking at her.

Yuffie stood her ground, meeting the witch’s gaze, her eyes unwavering.

The knights on the city wall nervously drew their longswords, forming a protective barrier in front of Yuffie.

The vice-captain placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

This action might provoke the witch in the sky, causing her to step out from behind the knights’ protection.

“Her Excellency, the Holy Maiden!”

He called out to Yuffie behind him.

Yuffie remained unmoved, merely looking at…

She knew it was an unwinnable fight.

Yuffie, as the strongest force in Laita City, was utterly suppressed.

“Witch!”

Yuffie’s call made Su Ran, who had intended to turn and leave, pause for a moment.

He wondered what this Holy Maiden wanted.

‘If she says something about being determined to eliminate demons and defend the righteous path, then this Holy Maiden…’

‘Wouldn’t she just be asking for trouble?’

Having obtained the last potion, Su Ran had no desire for further entanglement with the Church.

Although the other party was a witch hunter from the Church, they were still in the dangerous city of Laita.

Keeping a low profile was more in line with his character.

“The people of Laita City are innocent victims of today’s events, and you cannot escape responsibility. If you wish to make Laita City do something for you, I believe we will not allow you to succeed.”

Yuffie said, clutching the holy stone in her hand, ever vigilant against a potential attack from the other side.

The moment the witch opposite her showed any sign of aggression, Yuffie would crush the holy stone without hesitation.

“What do I want Laita City to do?”

Su Ran laughed as this body strode toward Yuffie on its own.

The beautiful girl with long, golden hair floated in the air, her pure white eyes holding an indescribable charm that was truly captivating.

The Holy Maiden before him seemed to have learned the graceful etiquette of a noble lady, always clad in a simple white robe whenever he saw her.

If not for the gentle sway of her robes, who knew what kind of expression the Holy Maiden would wear?

Su Ran made a motion as if to brush away a stray strand of hair, a gesture born of habit that he quickly abandoned.

The purple-haired witch spoke only a single sentence, and Yuffie’s face instantly stiffened.

Facing the overwhelming power of the purple-haired witch, even Yuffie, who held the holy stone, could feel sweat forming on her palms.

Upon realizing the other party had no intention of acting, Yuffie relaxed considerably.

If the two of them were to clash, regardless of the outcome, the civilians of Laita City would undoubtedly be caught in the crossfire.

“However…”

Hearing the witch’s words, Yuffie’s relaxed heart was instantly seized with tension once more.

“Can you become my witch? My name is Su Ran.”

Although this body was female, Su Ran didn’t find anything wrong with his words.

After all, in Witch Game, one had to choose a witch.

The game also allowed players to call themselves by many names, which at least gave Su Ran a small way to find a piece of his old self.

“…!”

Without waiting for the Holy Maiden’s reply, Su Ran turned and departed from Laita City.

He had lingered here for quite some time.

“Witch… come back? You can only belong to my temple.”

Watching the fleeting purple figure, Yuffie lowered her head and murmured.

Hearing the name, she gave an order to Kold, who was attending to the civilians in the aftermath of the disaster.

Faced with the Blood s*ave knights that had appeared outside the city and his own penetrating wound, it was fortunate that Yuffie had managed to prevent the contamination of the miasma from spreading.

When Kold came to the logistics department for a drink, Yuffie stopped him.

This was not a place for conversation.

“Report the disaster situation to the Holy City, and then properly settle the remaining knights.”

To say that a witch had caused this incident would be detrimental to the Church’s image.

Yuffie wasn’t foolish enough to report this matter up the chain, and the shadow…

This creature, born of flesh and blood, was inherently corrupting.

This made Yuffie want to verify a certain theory held within the Church, to see if it held true.

What began as a simple escort mission had unexpectedly involved a Shadow Witch, a polluting creature of flesh and blood, and a mysterious Sequence Six witch.

Yuffie felt as if her entire worldview had been overturned.

Flying halfway through the sky, Su Ran suddenly remembered his garden…

The witches in his garden had all vanished, devoured by the Blood Slaves.

The landscape constructed by the miasma and the Scythe of Judgment disappeared, replaced by…

It was because the Scythe of Judgment’s attack was so swift that the miasma hadn’t had time to react before it was dispersed.

This could only be explained by the Shadow Witch having already escaped.

The possibility of her being killed by the Scythe of Judgment was gone.

Su Ran did not relish the thought of encountering the Shadow Witch a second time.

He had already given up on the idea of extracting information from the Shadow Witch.

The current Laita City was not a suitable place to linger.

The high-level witch’s residence was built on a hidden mountain peak, accessible by only a single path.

Her originally black dress was now stained with blood.

‘Still… it’s a good thing that witch doesn’t seem very proficient with her magic.’

‘If I hadn’t completely negated the magical aftershocks, I might have had a chance to counterattack when the Scythe of Judgment fell, and the breached city wall would have been restored.’

He recalled the enormous scythe in the sky, its shadow still haunting his mind.

‘Once my injuries are healed, I will settle this score.’

In a deep cave within the forest, the Shadow Witch was tending to her wounds.

‘Committing evil is its own form of atonement.’

“Who is she?”

As he fell from the sky, Su Ran was surprisingly caught by the branches of a nearby tree.

He saw a strange girl rising from a wooden coffin.

Her body was clean, but she kept muttering things like, “What a fragrant demon,” and “Save me, Holy Maiden.”

It was Su Ran who suddenly turned his head, asking about the words he heard echoing in his heart.

Philly carefully introduced the pitiable girl, Maimai.

“This is Maimai, whom we rescued. We found her nearby.”

“She was already like this when we found her. We don’t know what she went through to end up in this state.”

Su Ran looked at her appearance, which was completely different from the corpse-controlling Shadow Witch he remembered.