85
My Villains Chapter 85
22. The Witch (5)
...What?
...For Camilla? Me? Why?
"Urgh,"
I barely held onto my fading consciousness. Having unconsciously bitten the inside of my mouth, the taste of blood lingered on my tongue.
"...You?"
Confusion filled the eyes of the doe - no, Camilla - in my arms. I spat out blood and grabbed her throat.
"Ack?"
"Ptui, you damned bitch-"
Before the witch could react, I drew Hrunting like lightning and stabbed her chest.
Squelch.
As the laid blade dug into her ribs, black blood vessels erupted across her milky skin.
"Keurgh,"
At Camilla's stifled scream, Gillius, who had been quietly standing in the corner, shouted "Camilla!" and charged at me.
"Ugh, damn it,"
While I staggered with my head feeling like it would split, the witch slipped from my grasp and stumbled backward.
"Kuhuk, you lowly mercenary"
Her eyes, now black even to the whites, shot forth a glow. That purple color that bewitches people's hearts...
It was the glow symbolizing ‘Vision’, a strange power crafted from psychic force.
Damn, ‘Fascination’! The Fascination pattern only activates with 4 or more party members, so why?
But there was no time to ponder. The purple radiance intensified my headache.
"Ugh---"
I squeezed my eyes shut and swung my sword. Though Hrunting wasn't particularly sharp, desperate force filled the wild swing.
Slash.
"Kyaaak!"
Something caught on the blade, but judging by the continuing screams, I hadn't managed to end her.
"Damn this-"
Crack!
"Kuk!"
My left shoulder blazed with pain. Turning hastily, I saw Gillius had buried his axe in my shoulder. With his large frame putting weight behind the swing, the axe blade was embedded about two finger-widths deep.
If not for the armor, my arm would have been severed.
"Urgh, you perverted bastard,"
With rage burning to my scalp, I swung my sword with full force.
Gillius hurriedly raised his shield, but Hrunting shattered the old round shield in one blow. I tried to kick him down and stab him, but-
"Brother! What is this,"
At that moment, Farel, who had been outside, rushed into the bedroom, having heard the screams. He was already armed with a helmet, shield, and short spear.
Looking around the bedroom with a shocked face, Farel spotted the bleeding witch. His face twisted hideously as he glared at me.
"Did you do this?"
"...Damn, this is insane."
Before I finished muttering, Farel threw his short spear with lightning speed.
The shield taken from Ubar was quite useful. The fact it hadn't taken much damage in fights with the royal guards until now was proof.
Crack!
But now, fragments of the shield flew up from Farel's rage-filled thrown spear.
"I'll kill you!"
Farel roared, drawing another short spear from his back and throwing it again.
Damn, they're completely bewitched!
I gritted my teeth, blocked the second thrown spear, and quickly leaped backward. It was to finish off Camilla, the witch who caused all this.
"Kuh, how did you..."
What I had cut earlier was Camilla's forearm. The now one-armed witch twisted her upper body while grinding her teeth.
Crack, crackcrack.
With a horrific sound, her delicate frame swelled up. The swollen flesh stretched long, tearing through her clothes.
Wet flesh covered in round suction cups... Tentacles reminiscent of an octopus or squid.
"Wh-what is that..."
At that horrific transformation, Farel staggered with his mouth agape. As if in a daze, he even dropped the sword he had just drawn.
But Gillius, still unable to break free from the fascination, charged at me shouting.
"How dare you do this to Lady Camilla!"
I met eyes burning with rage and... Lust.
-What child, she's all grown up. She's old enough to marry.
-Get your filthy hands off her, you bastard!
-Samcho-on! Congratulations on finishing your service!
-I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I couldn't hold back...
Kaang.
"Ugh!"
The forcefully swung shield deflected the axe and slammed Gillius down.
Couldn't hold back?
Like spewing fire from my chest, I thrust Hrunting forward.
Thunk.
"Guh,"
The blade that dug under his chin turned his dirty beard red.
"Hm."
Farel, who had been wearing a stupid expression, widened his eyes and moved his lips to say something. But I couldn't hear anything.
It feels like having ice water poured on my head on a hot summer day. An unbearable pleasure races through every nerve in my body. I almost regret not killing him sooner...
"Sir! Sir Gillius!"
"Hah,"
The desperate scream awakened my senses.
"B-Brother, why-"
Farel, who had shaken off the arcane power, was holding the deceased Gillius while looking at me. His eyes were filled with confusion.
...What, what have I done?
"Huff, huff."
While I tried to steady my rough breathing, the witch was almost finished with her transformation.
"Grrrr."
Camilla, foam filling her mouth, swelled up violently.
Thick tentacles with suction cups had sprouted - four around her waist, one from each armpit, six in total.
"Youuu!"
Camilla glared at me with completely blackened eyes and thrust her tentacles forward. The tentacles, as thick as my waist and several meters long, were whipped around, and I quickly readied my stance.
"Huup!"
The blade shone more beautifully than ever, drawing a brilliant afterimage, and swoosh!
As the darkness retreated, the thick tentacles fell to the floor, writhing madly.
"Guh, grrrrr,"
Camilla's porcelain-like face was darkened with blood vessels spreading like spider webs. The witch trembled in pain and retreated, swinging her tentacles to shatter the wooden boards hanging on the wall.
"This is crazy,"
Before I could catch up to her, the witch compressed her enlarged body and escaped through the window.
"There, that!"
"It's a monster!"
"Oh, Lord!"
The soldiers who witnessed the witch were shouting in horror.
And rightfully so. Camilla's appearance, with thick tentacles sprouting from her small body, was terrifyingly grotesque.
"B-Brother, why?"
"I'm sorry, Farel. I, I..."
Farel was crying. I swallowed dryly and continued speaking.
"I too, couldn't hold back."
"But, but-"
Leaving Farel behind, I stepped onto the windowsill and shouted loudly.
"The monster, the witch is escaping! The witch who conspired with the thieves is escaping!"
Fortunately, someone quickly grasped the situation, and arrows immediately rained down. Camilla covered her body with tentacles and used the suction cups to climb the Salt Castle.
"Grrrrrr!"
Simultaneously, a strange roar echoed, and a pair of tentacles grew from the witch's head. The tentacles that burst through her headscarf and veil were emitting a brilliant light.
That light she used to emit from her eyes when in human form. It contained arcane magical power.
"...No way?"
I covered my eyes in shock, but felt no pain. Even when I opened my eyes slightly to face the light, I only felt uneasy. Had I already adapted?
Meanwhile,
"Gah, damn it!"
"Get it together, you bastard!"
The area around Salt Castle was in complete chaos.
Soldiers with purple-tinted eyes were swinging their weapons at their allies. Soldiers who were suddenly stabbed in the back were screaming and bleeding.
"What madness is this! Stop!"
"It's evil magic! Everyone come to your senses!"
The knights and some soldiers who weren't enchanted were trying to calm things down, but the situation showed no signs of improving.
The witch, who had climbed to the tower roof, foamed at the mouth and opened it wide.
"Kieeek!"
The light from the tentacles sprouting above her head grew more intense. A siren-like shriek awakened people, and the light was enchanting them.
"Damn, this is completely OP..."
In the game, 'fascination' was just a slightly annoying ability. If you leveled up enough, you could easily resist it, and countering it wasn't too difficult.
You just had to bind fascinated party members with maze skills and beat down the Unveiled Witch.
But in reality, fascination was a disastrous ability that multiplied the power of the 'Unveiled Witch' several times over. Unlike the battlefields in the game, there were countless people here who could be fascinated by the witch.
I swallowed dryly and immediately rushed out of the bedroom. I ran through the 'T'-shaped corridor, practically flew up the stairs, and headed for the roof.
"Kieeek!"
The roof was surrounded by battlements on all sides, with white tower roofs attached at the corners. The witch had settled on one of the intact towers and was emitting purple light.
Tap.
I charged at her while holding my breath. The witch noticed my approach too late, as I had already leaped into the air like a long jumper. Just then, red light flashed in the dawn sky.
Slash.
I aimed for the witch's neck, but what fell along the tower's stone wall were two thick tentacles.
Twisting my body in mid-air to land on the tower roof, the witch spewed words filled with hatred.
"Grrrr, you, ruined, everything! I'll tear you apart, devour you!"
No, why is she still so energetic? Despite losing three tentacles!
Looking closely in the dawn light, I could see the cut tentacles writhing and growing back.
"Oh, please."
As the tentacles rushed at me ferociously, I swallowed a curse and threw myself backward onto the roof.
I slashed at the charging tentacles with Hrunting, but the witch nimbly avoided the attacks by shifting her tentacles. Meanwhile, other tentacles curved like whips, aiming for the back of my head.
"Grrrr, until the last, until the last! I kept it hidden! Because of you, filthy monkey!"
The tentacles grew faster along with an ear-piercing shriek.
I desperately dodged the tentacles while swinging my sword. Sometimes chunks of tentacle flesh with suction cups fell to Hrunting's blade, but each time, a tentacle would strike my head or lower back.
During this, when one tentacle swung openly from the front, I cleanly cut it in two with a horizontal slash, but snap!
"Ugh?"
Another tentacle wrapped tightly around my waist.
With a pulling sensation in my solar plexus, the tentacle lifted me into the air as if uprooting me.
"You octopus bastard,"
I gritted my teeth and swung Hrunting to cut away the tentacle gripping my waist.
Just as I was about to fall miserably onto the roof, the final tentacle rushed toward my face with a whooshing sound. It was an unavoidable combo.
"Oh sh—"
Whack!
Like a golf ball hit by a driver, like a baseball struck by an upswing bat. I was sent flying high outside the roof.
The momentary floating sensation following the dull pain was brief. The fall began with dizzying terror.
"Huup,"
The ground visible in the distance rapidly approaches. No matter how sturdy my body is, there's no way I'd be fine falling from the height of a 7 or 8-story apartment.
"F-ck,"
Just as I squeezed my eyes shut.
Whoosh!
"Huh?"
A wind from somewhere gently pushed me. Driven by that unprecedented force, I crashed hard against the wall of Salt Castle.
"Gah!"
Though the pain was breathtaking, I gritted my teeth and held onto consciousness. Even though the fall had stopped, the situation was still dangerous.
"Ughh."
Just as I corrected my posture, using core strength to prevent my upper body from flipping, I touched the ground. I managed to roll forward three or four times to break my fall and stood up, when—
Bang
"Huh,"
I looked up at the explosive sound.
"Kieeee-"
From the burning tower roof, the unveiled witch was falling, scorched by flames.
What's going on here? The question was answered by a soldier's shout.
"Th-there!"
What the soldier pointed to was the sun rising in the east. No, something floating in the eastern sky.
"What is that?"
"Ugh, my eyes."
The dawn light makes it impossible to see the figure clearly. Only after squinting hard could I make out the silhouette.
Rich hair flowing in the dawn breeze, a robe billowing as if covering a small frame, a left ear that seemed to have wings, a foot-long rod with sparks flying.
"...Huh?"
When the south wind pushed the clouds to cover the sun, its form finally revealed itself completely.
"...Huh?"
Hair as if woven from pure gold, blue sparkling eyes in a small face, snow-white skin with a rosy flush, long slender fingers...
A witch far more beautiful than Camilla was looking down at the ground with serene eyes.
I recognized the witch's identity and my jaw dropped.
"...Ellen?"
And there, far away, an arrogant smile bloomed on Ellen's pink lips.