Witch Taming System-Chapter 56: Crimson Witch [2]

It was a no-brainer to escape.

Lancel had already seen enough. Fiore was more than capable of dealing with a Death Knight on her own. There was no reason for him to stay and involve himself in something that was clearly beyond him.

For that reason, he moved. Back to what he came here for in the first place. And it didn’t take long, as a massive claw came crashing down in front of him.

Crash——!

A Darkmaw.

With Fiore no longer around, this time, there was no reason to hold back.

"Frostnova."

Crackle——!

Ice spread outward, expanding from beneath his feet as it surged toward the beast, locking onto it and hindering its movement. The moment it froze in place, Lancel moved.

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[Special Objective]

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[Condition:]

∎ Subjugate Darkmaws 5/5

[Rewards Obtained:]

∎ Strength + 1.0

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[Level: 5 → 6]

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Host: Lancel

Rank: Novice Witch

Level: 6

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Primary Attributes

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Strength: 5.8

Vitality: 3.5

Mana: 2.1

Agility: 5.0

Endurance: 4.1

Resonance: 1.1

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Slowly, but steadily, Lancel felt his body was changing. Every increase in stat came with it. The fatigue that had been building up began to fade, as if it was being washed away alongside the increase in his strength.

Maybe it was placebo, but Lancel didn’t want to think it so.

As he made his way back to where Fiore had been, intending to check if the fight had ended and to regroup with her, he felt it.

"...!"

A sudden fluctuation of mana spread through the air. It was thick, heavy enough that Lancel felt like he was about to throw up, far more suffocating than the mana that had been emitted from the Death Knight earlier.

What he saw next made him lose all composure.

"Fiore!"

She was there, held in place. An absurdly tall witch, far taller than him, with long crimson hair, had her gripped by the nape.

"Starstream!"

Rays of light shot out from his position. Beams blinked forward at blinding speed as they closed the distance in an instant.

The witch turned her head.

Bang——!

She struck her staff against the ground. At that moment, mana surged around her.

A crimson barrier spread out, forming in a single motion as it intercepted Lancel’s attack without delay.

Nevertheless, Lancel didn’t let up. He kicked off the ground and immediately moved into the witch’s blind spot.

The moment he entered her vision again, her brow rose.

"You’re... a man...?"

Lancel had counted on this. No matter what kind of witch it was, the fact that a man could cast magic was enough to throw them off.

"Frostnova!"

Ice spread outward, freezing the ground as frost and vapor rose along with it. Seizing that moment, Lancel pulled Fiore into his arms and immediately bolted away.

But the moment he took a step, he tripped.

"Ugh...!"

Lancel turned, realizing a crimson ribbon had wrapped itself around his leg. When he looked up, the witch was already heading toward him.

"Ah, fuck it!"

Lancel waved his hand around and relentlessly cast Starstream after Starstream. The beams cut through the ribbon binding his leg, while the rest shot forward toward the witch.

Meanwhile, the witch intercepted each spell with one of her own, meeting them head-on without taking a single step back.

At the same time, she began to think.

A man casting magic.

There was barely any mana emanating from him, yet he continued casting spells of that caliber without showing any signs of stopping. More than that, there was no sign of a Hexencircle being constructed or any process that should have been there.

And yet, he kept casting.

"What sort of power is this...?"

Dua Evangelist.

A Black Witch who had been cast aside by her master two hundred years ago. Left with nothing, she was forced to fend for herself in the outside world, surviving through whatever means she could grasp.

That was how she stumbled upon Death Magic.

After realizing its potential, the way it could cross the boundary between life and death, she forced herself to learn it, master it, and make it her own.

And after living for that long, after seeing countless strange and unnatural things over the years, this moment, right now, was perhaps the most shocking one of all.

"Who are you?"

Dua said as she reached out toward him.

Lancel moved at the same time.

He struck low, his blade coming up like an uppercut, but before it could land, ribbons burst out from the Hexencircles around Dua and wrapped themselves around his limbs, his torso, and his neck, stopping him mid-motion.

Dua stepped closer and lifted his chin with her fingers.

"What kind of existence are you?"

Lancel frowned, and the moment she got close, he immediately drove his head forward.

A headbutt.

Bang——!

Dua stumbled back.

For a brief moment, she didn’t react. Then, as heat spread across her forehead, she raised a hand and touched it. When she pulled it away, there was blood.

Just that single headbutt was enough to draw blood.

Lancel immediately gathered mana into his dagger and cut through the ribbons binding him. This witch was dangerous. Just the stench around her alone was enough for him to understand that there was no room to take this lightly.

Every spell that touched him felt wrong, as if something was being taken from him, as if his very existence was being drained away.

"We have backup. Witches are already on their way here to deal with you. There’s no point in doing this."

Lancel chose to bluff.

Part of him already knew she might not take the bait, but even then, any time he could buy was enough.

He raised his blade and adjusted his stance, positioning himself in front of Fiore’s unconscious body and shielding her behind him as he faced the witch.

But Dua tilted her head, a look of confusion crossing her face.

The next moment...

"Hahahaha!"

She burst into laughter.

It was loud and wrong. The kind of laugh that sent a chill crawling down his spine.

Everything about her felt off. From her unkempt hair, to her height that easily towered over him, to that strange, alluring beauty that made him feel like he shouldn’t get any closer.

"Backup? That’s great. The more, the better. I was wondering when those heretics would show up."

She smiled.

"I can’t believe it took this long for anyone to notice I was here."

Then, Dua lifted her hand, the one stained with her own blood, and brought it close to her lips before licking it.

Her gaze returned to Lancel, that same chilling smile still on her face.

"I was starting to wonder when I should move on from these dumb animals and start sacrificing witches instead."