A demonic monster that broke into the school and began a massacre?
So what?
Death? So what?
To me, death has never been a cold, frightening thing.
Standing at the edge of life and death, facing the slaughtering demon just a few steps away, my heart pounded faster and faster.
That rhythm— it had to be excitement!
“Big Sis, Father, Teacher… all of you, watch me closely!”
My eyes widened, bloodshot with madness.
It was the price of fully unleashing my witch power— my blood vessels burst in the whites of my eyes, dyeing the entire world a shade of crimson.
Perhaps this… was the world’s true face.
So beautiful.
“Watch carefully! I’ll never lose to Cluru again! Watch closely, and witness my power! This demon… I’ll kill it!”
Clap!
My delicate hands swung forward from behind me, the wide sleeves of my witch’s robe flaring in the wind as both hands clapped together with force.
At the point of impact, terrifying energy compressed and layered, converging into a cannon blast!
An overwhelming mass of power gathered in my palms, erupting in a burst of pure destruction.
A tyrannical, unrivaled magical beam cannon descended upon the world!
Boom!
The searing explosion was so bright it nearly blinded me.
The distant school building was sliced in half by the blast— one side vanished completely.
On the remaining wall, scarlet lava dripped and oozed down.
Let alone a demon with mere flesh—this shot could cremate stone and steel alike.
“I… I did it?”
Trembling with emotion, I stared at the scene before me.
All my witch power had been exhausted, and I collapsed to the ground.
This was destruction on a scale no witch had ever achieved.
Thank you, Father, for the potions you made me drink every day.
Father said, to narrow the gap between me and Cluru, I had to drink one bottle of potion daily and offer a small cup of my blood.
It was a secret technique.
This technique purified my body, awakened my potential, and greatly increased my capacity for witch power.
After years of persistence, my power capacity was now ten times that of my peers!
That’s why this technique— this magical beam cannon triggered by sheer magnitude of power— was a spell that belonged solely to me!
No one else had the innate potential to cast it!
Not even Cluru!
I won!
Every cell in my body was practically screaming with joy.
I could already see the future— Father would stop favoring Cluru, I would no longer be her shadow.
People would remember my name— not as “Oh, now I remember! You’re Cluru’s little sister!”
Ah… the world was so beautiful. Even the sunlight felt warm and tender.
Splurt.
.
Huh?
I looked down in confusion.
A tentacle?
It pierced through my chest?!
Gckh—!
Blood flooded my throat. My spine shattered. I lost all strength and fell backward.
Splurt splurt splurt!
As if killing me wasn’t enough, the demon lashed out again, impaling my limbs with its tendrils, pinning me to the ground.
“Almost got me… pathetic thing…”
The monster loomed over me. And in its eyes—I actually saw a flicker of… pity?
“Pitiful little creature. You were born only to be someone else’s food. Just die already. Death is your only salvation.”
Food?
What… does that mean?
.
“Xiao Luoxian!!”
The last thing I heard was Cluru’s voice—cracking with rage as she screamed my name.
I stared weakly, watching her charge at the demon.
Don’t come…
Run…
You fool—even you, Sis… aren’t its match.
Run! You idiot—RUN—
I wanted to cry out, but there was only blood in my throat, no air.
My vision blurred… heh. In this final moment, I was even hallucinating.
Cluru, running toward me, had tentacles growing from her waist—
Just like the demon. Evil, unyielding tentacles.
No way…
……
“The monster’s been slain.”
“No wonder Cluru-senpai saved us all.”
“It’s just a pity… sigh…”
“Who would’ve thought… she was actually an undercover heretic witch all along.”
So noisy.
Cluru this, Cluru that… First thing in the morning and you’re already talking about her— aren’t you tired of it?
Wait… heretic witch?
I jolted awake and looked around.
Where was I?
Why couldn’t I move…?
Tubes were sticking out of my body.
My pale skin had been pierced in multiple places, and a strange-colored liquid was flowing into my painfully thin frame.
I couldn’t move at all—my body was completely unresponsive.
“We’ve finished the investigation,” a smiling female doctor stood at my bedside, gazing down at me.
“Cluru appeared to be human, but was actually a spy for the demons. And your father… was secretly using forbidden arts—feeding Cluru with your blood.”
“…!”
I couldn’t speak, only listen in stunned silence.
“This is the evidence we found in your family’s hidden chamber.”
Completely ignoring my shattered mind, the doctor shoved a photo in front of me.
In a dim basement, several transparent containers once filled with blood were now empty, leaving only dried remains.
Below them were cups—and a bathtub.
A bathtub— something only Cluru was allowed to use.
Beside it lay a few changes of her clothes.
The scene hit me like a truck. I tried to shut my eyes and reject reality.
“All of that was your blood.”
The doctor cruelly pried my eyelids open.
Using iron clamps, she forced my eyes wide.
“Look. Look at how the heretic witch used you, how she tortured you your whole life… Don’t look away. You no longer have the time to avoid the truth.”
“You don’t have much time left. Your father used your blood to create a monster—invulnerable to blades and bullets, nearly godlike in power. The price was your lifespan.”
“Now that Cluru has fully awakened, your life is almost over. If you want to survive—if you want revenge—then do exactly as I say.”
Fine.
Do whatever you want.
I gave up resisting. I was exhausted.
“Next, you will receive the power of a god,” the doctor said. “You will personally meet the very deity the witches serve—the supreme divine being!”
A god?!
That word jolted me back to awareness.
No way… for real?!
The legendary source of all witch power… the deity all witches revere and serve…
And I… get to meet it?!
“Those forbidden rituals weren’t completely useless, at least. They made you the ideal vessel for divine power.”
“So next—you will inherit the god’s power. And then… you’ll take your revenge. Understand?”
I understood!
Hurry up!
Give me that power!
I’m going to kill those two monsters!
“But before that,” the doctor smiled, her expression turning eerie—
“The Association must ensure your loyalty. We can’t risk you using divine power to betray us.”
“After all, you’re the family of two traitors. It would be dangerous not to take precautions~”
What are you going to do?!
You—
“Obediently accept the brand.”
“And those irrelevant memories— you don’t need them anymore.”
“Just remember your hatred. That’s enough.”
……
“Oh fuck off, stop stabbing me! Stop stabbing me!!”
Woken once again by the Clear Mind Spell, it took me a while to come back to my senses from that damn dream.
No, this aftereffect is way too strong.
A few more times of this, and my Dao heart is seriously going to get corrupted…
What the hell?! What kind of nightmare fuel is this, Clermonde?! Why are you stabbing me even in my dreams?
Hahaha, sister~ Hahaha, father~ Die! All of you, die for me—!
No, wait. I’m really starting to lose track of dream and reality.
…Huh? Speaking of which—why am I not dead yet?
“I’m not a heretic witch’s spy.”
Cluru didn’t hang me upside down again—at least for now.
Four tentacles wrapped tightly around my wrists and ankles, pinning me spread-eagle to a tree.
“You’re not a heretic? Then I must be?” Fully immersed in the role by now, I glared at Cluru with gritted teeth. “You and Father… you two ruined everything I had!”
“I’m sorry.”
“Too late.” I sneered. “You stole my talent and my life, and now, when I’m barely clinging to life, you say sorry? Oh, how merciful you are, dear sister~”
“I didn’t want this to happen.” Cluru sighed softly. “Xiao Luoxian, listen to me. You’ve been deceived. You were brainwashed by those so-called witches. They branded you, conditioned you… all just to make you kill me.”
“How laughable. You think even without their brainwashing, I wouldn’t want to kill you?” I giggled, my expression growing more twisted and unhinged— no longer the innocent, introverted girl from before. “I have more than enough reasons to kill you. Even without them, I would kill you.”
“Don’t you remember? You received the power of the god. You must’ve seen it… don’t you remember what it looked like? Did they tamper with your memories?”
The god’s… appearance?
Wait, stop!
This is the real world. I can’t keep playing along in this delusion with Cluru.
If I sink any deeper, I’ll actually die.
“Alright, this dream ends here. I’ll save the game and come co-op with you next time.”
Since I haven’t crashed and burned yet and got a breather, it’s time for this old Immortal Lord to finally show some moves…
“A dream? I wish it were just a dream.” Cluru gave a light laugh. “But unfortunately, you and I—we’ll be stuck in this dream a while longer.”
“Stuck? Like hell we will! You’re not the one getting stabbed here!!” I was so pissed my whole body felt wrong.
Beidou Burning Heaven Art— activate!
…Huh?
No reaction?
Innate Primordial Qi—ignite!
Damn it, still nothing!
This is bad.
It’s sleep paralysis!
That’s right—consciousness awake, but the body still locked in sleep.
Cluru’s poison had forced my body into dormancy— completely immobilized, while leaving my mind disturbingly alert.
And even worse, it’s like my body’s gotten more sensitive…
This is absurd.
If I used some of my trump cards right now, I could probably get out of this situation.
But that would risk seriously hurting Cluru.
I… don’t want to use that move.
“Be good, go back to sleep for a bit,” Cluru murmured gently. “Try to remember. Think carefully about when you met the god. Try to recall what it looked like.”
Enough! I’m not sleeping anymore! I’ve slept plenty!
Xiao Luoxian is the undefeated night owl champion~!
Don’t make me sleep again!
I won’t sleep!
I won’t…
Zzzzzz…
……
“Remember. You must kill your sister.”
“Remember. You must kill Cluru.”
“No matter what she says or does, your mission must never waver.”
“Again— remember…”
Hypnosis.
Forced hypnosis—over and over again.
My consciousness was manipulated like a puppet, the doctor imprinting an unshakable directive into the depths of my soul.
Kill Cluru.
“It’s time, little one.”
By now, I obeyed the doctor’s every word without question.
Branded and hypnotized— I could no longer resist the Witch Association’s commands.
Their orders were my desires. Carrying them out was my sole purpose in life.
“Such a good little dog.”
The female doctor stroked the divine brand on my forehead— an intricate, beautiful symbol, proof of my absolute submission to the Witch Association.
I followed obediently as she fastened a collar and chain around my neck.
“Alright. Time to receive the god’s blessing. Be a good girl, now.”
I nodded slightly.
Before setting off, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.
—Long white hair loose around my shoulders. A baggy hospital gown that made my small frame look even more delicate.
Bare feet shackled in iron restraints, my freedom stripped away.
But my eyes— blank, vacant— not even a flicker of resistance remained.
Like a sacrifice, pure and hollow, with her soul scraped clean, just waiting to be offered up.
Should I be happy?
With time, I’ve grown. At least now, no one could say my appearance is inferior to Cluru’s…
“It’s been so long since we had such a perfect audience with the god. Clean, pure, completely hollowed out.”
The doctor walked ahead, pulling my leash.
I stumbled after her, following the path forward.
I didn’t know how long we walked.
We didn’t head up to the temple’s rooftop altar, but down—deep underground.
Strange. Normally, god-blessing rituals are held on rooftops, aren’t they?
After all, isn’t the god in the sky?
So why are we going down?
We must’ve descended over ten floors by now.
Who knew our city even had such a deep underground?
My instincts told me something was wrong—but I didn’t ask.
Because it didn’t matter. I didn’t care.
“Be good. Go on.”
The doctor stopped.
She didn’t go any farther.
She looked at the massive gate ahead with a flicker of fear in her eyes.
“Go. The god is waiting for you… Don’t doubt it. This is the god that all witches serve. The supreme divine one.”
And with that— she ran.
Stumbling, almost falling, she fled like a terrified animal. Her legs barely obeying her, tripping over themselves in panic.
Leaving me completely alone at the bottom of the abyss.
That door was massive. There’s no way I had the strength to open it…
Or so I thought—
Creeeeaaak—
The door opened slowly on its own.
I quickly lowered my head reverently, dragging my chains, stepping forward with tiny, measured steps.
Inside, it was pitch black.
It was as if something inside swallowed all light, leaving me blind.
I cautiously stepped through the threshold.
Boom.
The door slammed shut.
Then the sanctuary lit up.
And I finally saw the silhouette— the divine figure I had longed to witness.
My heart leapt.
It was just like the legends described!
Shrouded in radiant light, six pairs of wings spread behind its back—
Wings?
Wait…
Because of the backlighting, I hadn’t seen clearly at first.
But now, as my eyes adjusted, I saw what it really was.
My pupils shrank.
I collapsed to the floor.
Those weren’t wings.
They were tentacles.
Each one pulsing, alive, writhing in the shape of wings.
Demonic tentacles.
Just like Cluru’s.
Just like the monster that killed me.
So-called god…
The one we believed in.
The one revered as the supreme being by every witch on earth.
The very source of all witch power—
It.
Has always been the greatest demon of them all.