Chapter 33 – EPISODE 33 – WITCH’S FOREST (6)
Once upon a time, there lived a girl.
The child was sold by her parents for nine copper coins and soon became a sacrifice for summoning demons. However, thanks to the demon’s whims, instead of ending up as a handful of blood, she became a slave of the demon.
The fate of slaves were harsh.
Rest did not exist for those whose souls were captured by the demon.
It was their fate to live being manipulated as the demon’s plaything, and when they die, to struggle in pain for eternity.
And so it was for the girl.
That was her destiny.
But the girl did not conform to her fate.
Instead of bowing down and accepting it, she stood up and eventually changed her fate.
She is-
‘I know! I already know this!’
It was the story of the witch.
It was the legend of the witch who started as a demon’s slave and ended up subduing the demons.
But that wasn’t important now.
How to use the witch’s power was more important than the witch’s past.
[…you know this again.]
The witch spoke in a somewhat sulky voice, so instead of showing to Cordelia her past like a flitting film, she directly manipulated the body and soul of Cordelia to use her power.
Cordelia couldn’t use the witch’s power naturally because it wasn’t hers to begin with.
Although the original Cordelia acquired and used the ‘Witch Transformation,’ it was the future Cordelia and not the present Cordelia.
It was like if you want to get a driver’s license in the future, you have to learn how to drive first.
Moreover, it was not a situation where magic could be used by pressing a single skill b.u.t.ton like in the game, so the know-how to use the witch’s power was necessary.
The witch’s power moved.
The power of the great witch that subdued demons, spread throughout Cordelia’s body and spirit.
Just once, but that was enough.
Cordelia instinctively realized how to use the witch’s power, and she opened her closed eyes.
“Jude!”
At the moment Cordelia shouted and her eyes flashed, an intense green-colored air wave swept through the entire place.
The tremendous power not only swept away the monster who tried to attack Jude, but even Jude and Lucas who bounced off too.
“Oww!”
“Gaakk!”
“Kuaaaakkkk!”
Although the monster was greatly pushed back, it managed to hold its ground and yelled in anger.
On the other hand, Jude and Lucas couldn’t stand their ground and ended up rolling on the floor. Especially in the case of Jude, since he was near the wall, he even hit the wall once.
Right after her power was released, the seal’s area came into the view of Cordelia’s shining green eyes.
She saw the monster holding its ground and yelling in anger.
She saw Lucas using his sword to stand up.
And she saw Jude lying on the ground and letting out a painful groan.
Cordelia’s eyes were filled with rage. She took a step forward and bellowed.
“How dare you!”
You hurt Jude.
You knocked down Jude.
I cannot forgive…
I will not forgive you!
[Umm, you actually did that…]
The witch’s voice did not reach Cordelia.
Overwhelmed by her rage, she roughly swung her arms and exerted her power once again.
It was the witch’s power again.
A kind of telekinetic power became green smoke and spread out.
It became a giant hand and then struck the monster!
“Kuooo!”
The monster was roughly hit. But it didn’t just stand there and do nothing. It turned around in the air and changed directions, kicked the wall and rushed towards Cordelia.
“Kuaahh!”
It opened its mouth widely. There was a red flash in its abyss-like mouth, which soon became a huge pillar of light that fired towards Cordelia.
“Breath?!”
By the time Lucas cried out, Cordelia had already reacted. She largely swung her right hand to make the green smoke strike the monster’s chin, which forcibly changed the direction of the breath attack.
Booooom!
The ceiling was directly hit by the monster’s breath attack and the rocks broke off and fell down. And Cordelia took advantage of it. She swung her left hand and s.n.a.t.c.hed the rocks with green smoke and caused a whirlwind to collide with the monster.
“Kuaaaahh!”
The rocks became like blades and cut the whole body of the monster.
But it was still standing.
The demonic monster’s skin was thick, and its eyes still glowed red.
“Kurrraahh!”
When it roared with its arms wide open, the whirlwind itself was crushed.
“Die!”
But Cordelia didn’t just watch. When it crushed the whirlwind, she raised her right fist and struck the chest of the roaring monster with green smoke.
Booooom!
The wall and the monster collided, causing a tremendously loud sound. The impact was so strong that the whole cave shook.
“Haa…haa…haak-”
Blood came out of Cordelia’s nose. Not only that, but her eyes were bloodshot as tears of blood flowed down.
Sweat dripped from Cordelia’s whole body.
She only used it for a short time, but the witch’s power was so powerful that it even hurt Cordelia.
[Not yet.]
The witch spoke, and Cordelia knew it too.
It couldn’t have been defeated with just that attack. In the original story, Cordelia borrowed the power of the witch and created a huge magic spear. She was able to finish the monster only when she had pierced it.
[Use the Spear of Calamity.]
Just as the witch spoke, Cordelia took a breath and waited for the witch to tell her the spell.
1 second pa.s.sed. And then 2 seconds…
“Tell me!”
[You don’t know this too?]
The moment when Cordelia and the witch’s words overlapped…
“Kuooo!”
The monster with hair over its whole body roared once again and kicked the ground. It narrowed the distance with Cordelia in an instant, as if cutting through s.p.a.ce.
“F*ck!”
Cordelia roughly released the witch’s power. She somehow pulled away from the monster trying to punch her, as she rolled on the floor and distanced herself from it.
“!”
Cordelia mixed her mana with the witch’s power. Thus, the witch’s power was added into the magic spell that she usually used.
Boom!
As if it were a ballista’s arrow, a huge was formed in an instant and was fired towards the monster, creating a ma.s.sive explosion.
“Kuhak-!”
However, the backlash of using the spell hit Cordelia. At that moment, she bent her body as blood poured out of her mouth.
[It’s still impossible to use my power as yours. Use my magic, not your magic.]
The witch’s power was not like normal mana.
Since the legendary great witch’s power was originally the power of the demon that she subdued, one had to use the spells that the witch had ingeniously created to properly cast spells.
Otherwise, if one uses the witch’s power in the usual magic spells as Cordelia did, a backlash would occur.
[Listen carefully.]
The witch quickly began to cast the spell. But the monster didn’t give her time to do so.
“Kuoooo!”
Thanks to being hit by the , the monster’s hair was scorched and its whole body was covered with blood, but it was still alive.
It narrowed the distance at once and tried to smash the barely standing Cordelia, as it greatly swung its right arm.
“Uoooo!”
Just then, Lucas roared and threw his sword.
The sword with the power of the Sage King’s Cross Sword flew like a lightning flash and succeeded in grabbing the monster’s attention even for a moment.
Thud!
Jude used his Thirty-Six World Steps.
He desperately ran towards Cordelia and kicked the ground at some point as he hugged Cordelia.
But there was not enough time.
He tried to escape with Cordelia, but the monster’s attack was faster than him.
Boooom!
The monster’s hand devastated the ground, as it broke from the tremendous force.
“No!”
It was when Lucas screamed.
“!”
The magic spell exploded once again. The monster was struck on its side and staggered as it let out a painful groan, and Lucas was able to see what had happened.
On the ground, Cordelia and Jude were entangled together and had collapsed.
Cordelia was underneath and had used magic, while Jude breathed a sigh of relief on such Cordelia.
Fairy Steps.
He hugged Cordelia and activated it at the same time, so thanks to it, he was able to completely evade the monster’s attack.
“Kuhak-!”
However, Cordelia vomited blood again.
Jude’s eyes opened wide in surprise, and the witch’s voice came to them.
[It’s her limit. The backlash caused by her unreasonable use of my power is too much. Anymore would be dangerous.]
The witch’s tone was soft, but her voice was full of concern.
Jude quickly looked at Cordelia, and Cordelia looked back at Jude.
At the moment they made eye contact…
“Kuaaaaa!”
The monster stood up while limping, as it roared in anger. Despite having a big wound at its side, it rushed towards Jude and Cordelia.
“Noooo!”
Lucas picked up the sword that fell on the ground as he turned towards the monster.
Cordelia opened her lips and whispered to Jude.
“Kuhaaaa!”
The monster jumped. It quickly pa.s.sed over Lucas’ head and then descended as it punched with its fist.
Bang!
The magic that Cordelia used from Count Chase’s ring was shattered at once.
The monster that landed on the ground pulled its fist again, and Cordelia saw the monster.
Instead of using magic again, she raised her middle finger while looking at the monster with her clear blue eyes.
Did she give up?
Was the last thing that she did was to swear?
It wasn’t that.
When the monster had pulled its fist, Cordelia’s hair had returned to its red color.
At the same time, Jude, who was on top of Cordelia as if protecting her, suddenly grew his hair quickly.
Cordelia laughed with her mouth full of blood.
She opened her lips again and said.
“Finish it.”
She realized it the moment their eyes met.
The fact that Jude can also hear the witch’s voice.
So Cordelia acted and handed over the witch’s power to Jude.
“Uoooo!”
Jude loudly shouted as he raised himself.
The witch moved her power to Jude, and he straightly activated the Guardians of the Holy Cross’ technique.
[You will get hurt.]
There would be a strong backlash.
But Jude didn’t care. He didn’t have time to listen to the witch’s spell now.
The current method was the best for him.
Jude’s eyes glowed green.
The witch’s power triggered the technique, and the pure white light burst.
Tsuhuaaaaa!
The giant Golden Cross.
It was formed from the pure white light. Jude moved forward and tried to strike the monster to burn its body.
“Kuooooo!”
But the monster wasn’t pushed out very easily. It exploded its power to counter the Golden Cross. Dozens of lightning sparks arose as the dark red demonic power collided with the sacred power of the Golden Cross.
Blood flowed down from Jude’s mouth.
Both of his arms that activated the technique trembled like a leaf and sweat poured down like rain along his forehead.
It was a tense and violent clash.
No, little by little, Jude began to be pushed back.
The cause was not the technique itself but rather Jude who maintained the technique despite his physical limitations.
[No, if this situation continues…]
The witch groaned. But Jude did not give up.
Because I trusted her.
Because I believed in her.
“Cordelia!”
When Jude screamed, Cordelia was reflected in the monster’s red eyes.
Pure white mana was concentrated on the tip of her finger.
.
It was very small and weak, but it was enough to break the balance.
Cordelia moved her finger as she smiled in pain. The that was about the size of a finger, flew like an arrow and struck the eyes of the monster!
“Keaaakkkkk!”
The pain from the attack broke the balance.
A crack appeared from the demonic power that the monster was using, and Jude did not miss it.
Boooom!
The monster’s scream and the roar caused by the attack burst at the same time. The Golden Cross promptly pushed back the monster, and the monster flew almost over a dozen meters and crashed into the wall.
But that wasn’t the end.
The Golden Cross dug into the monster’s body. It did not stop burning until it utterly destroyed the monster.
“Aaaahh!”
With its last scream, the red glow disappeared from its eyes. Starting from the chest, the monster’s whole body was wrapped in a pure white fire, and it soon became ashes that scattered around.
“Haa…haa…haakk-”
As he watched the whole scene of the monster burning, Jude thought that he was only breathing roughly, but he soon vomited blood just like Cordelia.
Unlike Cordelia, Jude had a poor compatibility with the witch’s power.
He had only used it once, but his condition was as bad as Cordelia, who had used the witch’s power several times.
[I will withdraw my power. Don’t strain yourself or you will collapse.]
Jude nodded at the witch’s gentle voice, as his nose bled, and he felt like falling down. He soon collapsed besides Cordelia.
‘The level…has risen.’
Several pure white rings surrounded them.
Moreover, he heard in his head a voice saying that he got the t.i.tle of Demon Slayer.
‘All abilities +3 and a 5% increase to attacks against Great Demons….’
While on the verge of fainting, Jude thought that he had to take care of things first before pa.s.sing out.
And it was the same with Cordelia.
“F*ck, the reward…was good.”
Half of her face was b.l.o.o.d.y because of the fresh blood from her nose, but even then, her smile was beautiful.
‘She’s indeed an incomparably beautiful girl.’
And that was it.
Unlike the last time he fainted, Jude couldn’t even mention about his Gueumjulmaek because he had already lost consciousness and fainted.
Cordelia saw such a Jude once again and smiled while mentally swearing. She soon clenched her teeth to keep herself awake.
It wasn’t yet the time for her to faint now.
There was something else that she had to confirm.
“Lady Cordelia! Mr. Bayer!”
As she saw Lucas running towards them, Cordelia finally sighed in relief.
Lucas was also safe.
The demonic monster was defeated, and the barrier was probably broken now.
So it was okay for her to faint now.
“The aftermath…please…”
Cordelia spoke quietly as she lost her consciousness, and Lucas nodded at this déjà vu scene again.
‘As expected, they’re a fantasy couple.’
From demonic human to demonic monster.
The chemistry of the two was really fantastic.
Alternating between Jude and Cordelia as if he was envious, Lucas then reached out and properly laid down the two on the ground.
And the witch’s soul looked down at Lucas, blinked her eyes several times and said.
[Umm…I can’t ascend yet, right?]
The witch frowned as she looked at Jude and Cordelia’s faces, but soon, just like Lucas, she casually had a warm smile on her face.