Magic Academy’s Genius Blinker

Chapter 243

The Witch (10)

***

Following the witch hunter into his subspace, I once again faced that unique sense of discomfort I had felt before.

It wasn’t a particularly special sensation.

Fragments of numerous biological corpses used as experimental tables everywhere. Though I knew well that this horrific sight was the witch hunter’s struggle to extend his lifespan, I couldn’t help but feel a physiological revulsion.

“The interior seems a bit different from last time? I guess you remodeled after I visited.”

If I remember correctly, this witch hunter was said to be a rookie who had only hunted seven witches so far.

Some might say “only seven,” but in fact, that’s quite impressive.

In this world where witches have almost disappeared, the fact that he found seven is already proof that this witch hunter has lived for at least several decades.

“Let’s see…”

That aside, I should gather what I need first. Putting on the bulbul glasses and looking around the lab, as expected, there were quite a few pieces of equipment useful for witch hunting.

There were almost no magical tools I could use without magic power, but there were plenty of things worth taking as substitutes for protective gear.

“Is this Alegro’s Extinction Cloak? No, it’s not. Why do you have a half-burned cloak? It’s a fake.”

-It’s a trophy I got from hunting a witch before. I didn’t know it was fake…

“I’ll take Legro’s Piercing, and what’s this? You should throw this kind of thing away. Oh, you even have Pahalen’s Ancient Tree Bracelet? Why do you have something like this when you don’t even have wrists?”

-…I used to have them.

“This is Sahalen’s Beaker. Can I take some?”

-You have a good eye for magical tools. That has a barrier sealing array engraved on it, created by an ancient mage to seal a witch’s vengeful spirit. Are you planning to capture the witch?

“No. I’m going to use it as a throwing bomb. It burns well when lit.”

Regardless of how the witch hunter looked at me, I gathered what I needed. That witch hunter takes great pride in witch hunting, so once he knows I’m really hunting witches, he won’t be able to interfere.

-Are you… going to take all of that?

“Ah, I’ll return them after I use them.”

-…I see.

After gathering all the useful magical tools, I quietly turned my gaze towards the beaker containing the “Witch’s Essence”.

“Hmm.”

As I licked my lips, the witch hunter slightly moved his body to cover it.

This bastard, he’s only quick-witted.

And truthfully, I don’t intend to take more of the witch’s essence anyway.

The witch’s crystal orb I currently possess has already reached 500 years, so it can’t grow any further.

Moreover, due to the side effects of the crystal orb, I keep hearing auditory hallucinations. Why would I be crazy enough to enhance the crystal orb?

“Ah, right.”

-…What is it this time?

I should ask while I remember.

“Hey, do you know what changes occur when a human is exposed to a witch’s magic power?”

-Of course.

“This is just something I heard from someone, but what phenomenon is it when you keep hearing voices in the air because you were exposed to a witch’s magic power?”

-That’s a very common auditory hallucination.

“No, it’s a bit different. The mage in question is exceptionally skilled in mental defense.”

As long as I have the blessing of Red Spring March, my mental defense ability should be among the best in this world.

Even a witch shouldn’t be able to easily interfere, but the constant auditory hallucinations are driving me crazy.

The 500-year-old witch might have been powerful enough to break through Red Spring March’s blessing, but she should be dead by now, so it’s suspicious that such power remains.

-I don’t know how strong that mage’s mental defense is, but it would be difficult to block a witch’s magic power.

“Well… that person is said to be an 8th class barrier mage. A mage working at a defense center called Ppukom, but suffering from a witch’s auditory hallucinations. Isn’t that a bit strange?”

-…A barrier mage.

If we were to name mages who could somewhat respond to witches, it would certainly be barrier mages who can block all types of mana, and spatial mages.

Spatial mages are extremely rare, and it’s far from explaining my current state, so when I gave the example of a barrier mage who can defend against mental attacks, the witch hunter tilted his head.

-That is a bit strange.

“What is?”

-For a mage with that level of mental defense to suffer from auditory hallucinations, it would have to be a witch from Rohalen, but all witches from there have been hunted, and the ‘Last Witch’ is sealed.

“…Is that so?”

Then what could it be?

-Hmm, I’m rather thinking of another possibility. Did that mage try to directly communicate with a witch…

“I don’t think so. He hates witches…”

-Then there’s also the possibility that he connected his mind with someone and put up a barrier belatedly, causing the other person’s voice to not reach properly, sounding like an auditory hallucination.

“…Huh?”

At that moment.

A being suddenly came to mind.

‘Wait, have I visited Leafanel recently?’

Once a spirit but now resurrected with the heart of a divine beast, she and I are connected by soul, able to communicate anytime.

However, it consumes too much mental energy to contact her anytime, and recently I’ve been so busy running around here and there that I haven’t paid any attention to Leafanel.

‘Could it be…?’

As the blessing of Red Spring March became increasingly powerful, could it be that the telepathy was blocked, and Leafanel was calling for me?

-What’s wrong?

“Nothing. Thanks. I think I understand something now.”

-…Then be careful not to break my things and use them cautiously.

“Of course. I’ll return them clean just as I borrowed them, so don’t worry.”

Saying that, I couldn’t concentrate because I was concerned about Leafanel.

‘What could she be calling me for?’

If what the witch hunter said is true, it means she’s been trying to reach me for days… Could something big have happened?

‘I should go see her right after this incident is over.’

For now, I had to focus on the witch hunt at hand, so I tried to shake off the thoughts.

“Anyway, thank you. I’ll use them well.”

After waving goodbye to the witch hunter who had willingly lent me magical tools for the noble cause of witch hunting, I immediately left the subspace.

Whoosh!

I know exactly where she’s hiding.

‘The underground sewers.’

Now, all that’s left is to take the witch’s head.

***

Arcaneum, underground sewers.

Drip! Avoiding the falling water droplets, Melisher, who had been walking with squelching steps, leaned against the wall to catch her breath.

As she had regained her heart and placed it in her chest, the recovery speed of her magic power had become much faster, but the pain from being stabbed by the witch hunter still hadn’t subsided.

But the wound was almost healed now. Once her magic power recovers, she could run the restaurant again.

‘It’s not enough.’

She needs to recover her magic power even faster.

Should she catch one of the dark mages wandering in the underground sewers and absorb them?

No, that wouldn’t be very efficient. Besides, if she unnecessarily provokes a mage from the Dark Mage Alliance, they might rise up as a group, which would be quite troublesome.

They were crazy bastards who, despite having no sense of belonging, would use it as an excuse to go berserk if their group was touched.

‘Rather…’

As she clutched her chest and felt the beating of her heart.

Shudder!

Melisher embraced the nauseating sensation rising from within her entire body, and instinctively spread an illusion barrier in the air.

Crash…!!

The underground sewer began to crack like broken glass, blocking the giant shadow’s scythe that flew through the air.

Clang!!

As the glass shattered into pieces, the water flowing underground twisted to the side, the ceiling collapsed to the floor, or the floor soared to the ceiling, and the space began to distort.

-…Witch, found you.

A chilling voice passed through as if penetrating her mind. A dizzying sensation that made her whole body shudder and her hair stand on end.

Melisher slowly raised her head and looked up at the sky of the underground sewer.

A fluttering black robe.

That form, darker than darkness itself, was ominously gleaming with red eyes like a sun eclipsed by moonlight.

‘Witch… hunter…!’

This one is on a completely different level from the witch she met before.

It felt like a mouse before a cat.

Witnessing a true predator, she gripped her staff with trembling hands.

“Ha… damn it…”

She knew this would happen someday. Now that even the Witch Restaurant is gone, there’s almost no chance of winning. Though she knew well that she couldn’t win, the corners of her mouth curled up.

“I’ve finally found you.”

Ignoring her words, the witch hunter slowly raised his giant scythe. Staring at the scythe made solely to behead witches, Melisher stamped her staff on the ground with a thud!

…Boom boom boom!!

Immediately after, with a violent explosion, the space of the underground sewer literally shattered into pieces and soared into the air.

As the distinction between up, down, left, and right disappeared, and pieces shattered into more pieces, the witch hunter didn’t even flinch.

-Useless act…

“Useless? Don’t make me laugh. Ha, this is the show I prepared to hunt you witch hunters! You’re just the first sacrifice!”

Boom!!

As the ceiling of the underground sewer broke through, the floor of Arcaneum collapsed. Brilliant moonlight poured down into the underground.

Slash!

“…Ugh!”

The scythe swung by the witch hunter folded the space in half, and the illusion was split in two. Melisher barely blocked that strike by spreading a giant lotus illusion in the air, but she coughed up blood as internal injuries rose.

“Cough…”

But it’s okay.

Melisher didn’t spare her magic power and extracted it all to cover this entire area with her illusions.

The purple dawn sky was inverted to green, and the dark clouds turned white-gray, illuminating the air.

‘No doubt about it.’

That witch hunter possesses the ability of [Breath of the Dead Witch].

It was an ability more fatal to witches than any other… but if she could perfectly absorb it?

Perhaps, Melisher would gain perfect immunity to witch hunters.

A witch who no longer needs to be chased by witch hunters.

If such a witch existed in this world.

‘I could rule this magical world with my own hands!’

Witch Restaurant?

She doesn’t need to do such troublesome things anymore. Why bother with groundwork when she can obtain the ultimate magic that can control both illusions and reality?

This has been planned for a very long time. Inheriting the prophecy from her ancestor, the ‘Last Witch’, this is the final spell to absorb the power of witch hunters, the natural enemy of witches.

“An illusion is just an illusion.”

That’s what you witch hunters always say. But that will no longer apply.

“Because reality will become an illusion too.”

-…Hmm!

The witch hunter’s eyes changed. He flashed his red eyes and scattered black space around to try to suppress the illusions, but it’s useless.

Such tricks won’t work on the ‘perfect illusion indistinguishable from reality’ that she created by consuming even her lifespan.

Crackle!!

“Strike down!”

As Melisher chanted the spell and swung her broomstick widely, red lightning struck down on the witch hunter.

Zap!

The witch hunter, who took damage to his physical body, staggered for a moment but soon regained his posture and twirled his scythe in the air. Like a fan scattering dust, the illusions slowly began to disperse, but when Melisher clenched her hand in the air, even that was stopped.

-You are… not an ordinary witch.

“Hehe… Of course.”

She possessed abilities that were on a different level from other witches, having directly inherited magic from the ‘Last Witch’, who was like a mother to all witches and the one who allowed witches to remain as witches.

“I can fulfill my long-cherished wish…”

A world where witches no longer have to live in hiding. That’s all the Last Witch wanted.

But… witches are inherently unable to mingle with humans.

We are fundamentally different from those inferior beings who are swayed by emotions, form societies, and bind themselves to laws.

When we can be perfect alone, and by our mere existence can stand at the pinnacle of the world, why should we compromise with an inferior species?

‘Just ruling over them is enough.’

Clang!

As Melisher thrust her broomstick into the air with a poke!, the space shattered into pieces and tried to tear the witch hunter’s body apart. He tried to endure by surrounding himself with a black protective barrier, but the witch hunter was gradually reaching his limit.

-That power… is only eating away at your lifespan…

She knows that.

But what’s the problem?

After this fight is over, if she just absorbs [Breath of the Dead Witch], she might be able to live eternally by obtaining a perfect physical body.

“Die thinking that. You’ll just be fertilizer for me.”

-…How unfortunate.

The witch hunter finally sensed his end and closed his eyes, and soon shattered into pieces, meeting his death.

Watching the witch hunter completely disappear into 4-dimensional space without even leaving a corpse, Melisher gritted her teeth and curled up the corners of her mouth.

“Heh, hehe.”

It was easier than expected.

She had tried to divert the witch hunter’s attention by leaving plenty of her scent on that blue-haired witch she met at the restaurant earlier, but if she had done that, it would have been a big mistake.

‘If I hadn’t encountered that witch hunter directly, I would have regretted it.’

Thanks to meeting the witch hunter herself, she was about to obtain the ultimate ability.

“Haah…”

Melisher forcibly put strength into her thighs and approached the witch hunter’s corpse. Now, if she absorbs that essence, everything will be over.

Or so she thought.

Clatter!

…Suddenly, someone appeared from beyond the shadows and grabbed the witch hunter’s essence.

“What… is this…?”

That boy was wearing the uniform of Stella Academy, had black eyes and black hair, and above all, was holding a staff emitting beautiful light in his hand.

And, most importantly.

‘The flow of mana is… strange…?’

That boy’s body contained no mana at all.

No, to be more precise… the moment natural mana was absorbed into his body, it was immediately expelled externally. As if his body was rejecting mana.

‘How can such a thing…’

Then suddenly, something flashed through Melisher’s mind. Words that the Last Witch had told her long ago.

“You couldn’t be…”

However, before Melisher could finish her words, the other party raised his sword first and closed the distance.

Whoosh!

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again.

The boy, who had already closed the distance of ten steps, was swinging his sword towards her neck.

At that moment, she realized.

‘All things in the world flow along the fate of mana. It is something that no being can defy. Even the constellations in the sky and the gods themselves all contain mana.’

As she swung her broomstick to raise waves of illusion to block the sword of light, she wondered if the reason this being felt familiar was because of those words.

‘However, if there exists one in the world who does not possess mana… that one might be able to defy even fate itself.’

At that time, she had asked.

What should be done if such a being actually exists?

‘Run away. Without looking back.’

A voice so weak it was hard to believe it came from the Last Witch.

Clang!!

She shot a powerful illusion at the boy, but he easily penetrated it and swung his sword towards her neck in return.

‘Ha, it really exists…’

To think that the being she had dismissed as mere legend at the time actually exists in reality. However, Melisher doesn’t think she can follow the Last Witch’s advice.

‘Run away without looking back? How can I do that…’

Suddenly, her eyes turned cold.

“When it looks so delicious to devour!”

Melisher shouted this and poked the sky with her staff.

Immediately, the world turned upside down.

‘If it’s a being that even the Last Witch feared…’

I will hunt it and absorb it.

Melisher made this judgment.

End of Chapter