Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 24: Ailora’s Reverse Scale

Xia Ya’s gaze, like that of a ravenous beast, made the thug feel incredibly uneasy.

Clearly, he was the one here to burn, kill, loot, and wreak havoc. The academy should have been filled with nothing but lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

Yet, this male student before him gave off a completely different impression—one that made him feel as though the roles had been reversed, as if he were the prey being stalked by a pack of wolves.

However, regardless of the discomfort, at least this student’s recitation of his faith’s doctrine was flawless.

And when he spoke, there was an unmistakable excitement and fervor in his expression, a look that couldn’t be faked—only the most devout believers would show such emotion.

To think that even in an elite academy like Saint Roland Academy, deep in the heart of the Imperial Capital, he would encounter a supporter of the Ashen Doctrine.

Realizing this, the thug’s expression softened a little. “In a land ruled by heretics, it is truly commendable that you’ve managed to hear our Lord’s teachings.”

“Of course! I’ve been a long-time member of the old FFF Society. Every time I see those sickeningly sweet couples showing off their love, I can’t help but want to burn them all.”

Xia Ya leapt off the bed, rubbing his hands together excitedly as he took a few steps closer to the black-robed thug.

“It’s just a shame that this damn heretical nation’s royal family has been suppressing the Lord’s teachings for so long. That’s why I’ve had to stay in hiding, pretending to be an atheist.”

“But now, things are different! We’ve finally found our organization!”

“Tell me, can I join? Both of us are loyal followers of the Lord of Ashes.”

Xia Ya’s enthusiasm made the black-robed thug a little uncomfortable.

Avoiding Xia Ya’s burning gaze, he replied in a deep voice, “The requirements to join the Order are extremely strict.”

“The trials are only passable by the most devout believers.”

“Moreover, during the trials, even the slightest wavering of faith will result in you being burned to ashes by the Lord’s Black Flames.”

“If you are truly prepared, then once our mission here is complete, I can take you to apply for the initiation ritual with the Pontiff.”

“No problem! Our faith is unwavering—we’ll definitely pass the trial.”

Xia Ya readily agreed, then suddenly leaned in closer to the black-robed thug and lowered his voice. “By the way, does the Order have any plans for Saint Roland Academy?”

“I’ve been here for three years. I know the layout of the academy inside and out, as well as the strength distribution of instructors and students across different years.”

“If I could use this information to aid our Lord’s will, it would be my greatest honor.”

Hearing Xia Ya’s words, the black-robed thug frowned slightly.

However, the intelligence Xia Ya provided—detailed knowledge of the terrain and the academy’s strongest individuals—could greatly aid their mission.

After some hesitation, he nodded. “The Lord has decreed that the Fresta Empire’s royal family is obstinate and unyielding, having repeatedly rejected the spread of His doctrine. Thus, they must be punished.”

“The Pontiff leads us here for that purpose.”

Xia Ya quickly followed up, “Naturally.”

“But this place is adjacent to the Imperial Capital. Even setting aside the academy’s headmaster and vice headmaster, there are several deans who possess the power of Fourth-Ring Master-Tier Beastmasters. And within the capital, there are always powerful reinforcements ready to respond at any moment.”

“No matter how strong the Pontiff is, even he cannot fight against overwhelming numbers alone.”

“So, for our Lord’s decree to be fulfilled, the Pontiff must have brought a relic of the Lord with him, correct…?”

The black-robed thug cast Xia Ya a surprised glance, seemingly not expecting him to deduce so much from just a few words. “That is indeed the case.”

“The Pontiff carries a section of our Lord’s index finger bone from His Ashen Body before His ascension to godhood.”

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“Oh, I see.”

Xia Ya lowered his head slightly, hiding his expression from the thug’s view. “Then… that bone fragment the Pontiff carries, it must be fire-attributed, right?”

“Of course.”

“Our Lord embodies the most scorching of flames, the Black Fire of Annihilation capable of incinerating entire planes.”

“Even a mere remnant of His mortal form is unquestionably one of the most powerful flames in this worl—”

The black-robed thug’s voice abruptly stopped.

He finally realized something was wrong.

From the moment their conversation began, he had felt an inexplicable sense of trust and familiarity toward this student.

He had even regarded him as a fellow believer within the Order, answering all his questions without reservation—whether they should be spoken of or not.

But in reality, weren’t they still supposed to be enemies? One was a violent attacker, the other a victim.

His suspicion surged, and he raised his black scythe, flames flickering around it—his summoned beast was clearly some sort of fire-elemental creature.

“You—”

Before he could even voice his doubt—

A dazzling silver light erupted, illuminating the dim sky.

A silver spear tore through the air, slicing through the atmosphere like a raging storm, piercing through everything in its path.

In the span of a mere fraction of a breath—

Clang—

The metallic clatter of the scythe hitting the ground echoed.

The black-robed thug stared blankly at his fallen weapon, the flames on it gradually extinguishing.

This signified that the elemental beast attached to the scythe was rapidly losing life force.

And if a summoned beast perished without sustaining direct damage—

There was only one possibility: the Beastmaster who had formed a contract with it was already dead.

The thug belatedly lowered his gaze, only to see the gaping hole in his own chest.

With wide, disbelieving eyes, he collapsed onto the ground.

Even within the Ashen Order, this black-robed thug had been an elite. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been chosen by the Pontiff to participate in this assault on Saint Roland Academy.

His strength, at the peak of the Second-Ring, was enough to place him among the top academy students. Combined with his years of blood-soaked combat experience, he should have easily slaughtered the sheltered students raised in this “greenhouse” of an academy.

And he had maintained his battle state, with his summoned beast attached to him, never once letting his guard down.

Yet, he had been killed in an instant.

A death without peace.

“Man, I wasn’t done squeezing information out of him yet—”

“I was planning to use Tsukuyomi to infiltrate their ranks, you know? Ailora, you really didn’t have to act so decisively.”

Xia Ya shook his head regretfully as he looked down at the corpse.

“What a waste. Next time, at least break their limbs and leave them breathing.”

Beside him, Ailora silently wiped the blood off her silver spear with a tissue.

At some point, her academy uniform had vanished, replaced by a silver-white armored dress. Beneath her knight’s helmet, her delicate face remained as icy as ever.

“He raised his weapon against you.”

A simple, emotionless response.

Xia Ya understood the underlying meaning: I heard what you said. I get the logic. But next time? No promises.

“Well, nothing to be done about it.”

He shrugged, knowing full well that his childhood friend was as stubborn as they came. Once she made up her mind, not even ten pureblood dragons could change it. He had never really expected to convince her otherwise.

“Rest in peace, brother.”

Xia Ya crouched down, reaching out to gently close the thug’s lifeless eyes.

“I actually would’ve preferred to spare you.”

“But… you just had to touch my tigress’s reverse scale.”