Chapter 110 Witch Hunt
In the rain, a light shot through.
One might think it's lightning, but it wasn't. The heat ray burned the raindrops and pierced the air.
It was Rose's beast, a white horse. The collar around its neck, patterned like peacock feathers, glowed with white light and released a laser.
[rehnnnnn,,,]
The power was beyond words. It easily opened a wind hole in the wind barrier that had completed its catalyst and incantation. If one took it head-on, they wouldn't stand a chance.
As Quollio looked on, two horses caught his attention - a pair of horse stood out distinctly due to its unusual white and black coat. He recognized this remarkable horse.
"That collar that shoots lasers, 'white horse'... no doubt about it. It's the beast 'Skinfaxi'!"
No need to flip through the notes.
Beast Skinfaxi. A powerful beast that releases lasers from the magic stored in its umbrella-like collar. Facing that one beast would be much easier than dealing with the previous group of beasts.
"Haaaa!!!"
Out of the corner of my eye, Sham swung a metal rod and leaped at the black horse.
If she had just swung down the black iron with that fiery momentum, she could have easily crushed a regular horse.
[Hikiiieeeee!!!]
But the white horse wasn't the only one that wasn't just a regular horse.
The black horse let out a sharp neigh. Thick, muddy water spilled from its body, gathering the rain to create a shield of black water.
The water shield burst with a splash upon the impact of the metal rod, but the shock didn't reach the black horse.
[Hikkkiiee,,]
"Whoa!"
Sham stumbled back, feeling the lack of impact. Just then, a bullet of black, murky water rushed at her, forcing Sham to jump back in a panic.
"What the heck is that black goo... it blocked my attack!"
"Be careful, Sham. That [black horse] beast──[Hrímfaxi] can control the black sweat it releases! It's dangerous to jump in carelessly!"
"Hey, that's unfair! You should have told me sooner!"
"I just told you now!"
"Ugh!"
Sham was grumbling like a little kid, but her eyes were glued to the black horse. With a low stance like a cat with its fur standing on end, she seemed to sense the threat of the Hikimufakushi in her own way.
[reheeeeen,,!!]
(Is the Skinfaxi coming again?)
As if trying to regain the attention that was taken away, the white horse neighed again. Was it going to shoot another laser? A bright light gathered around its neck like a collar.
"I won't let you do that!"
[!!]
There was no way she would let it unleash a dangerous laser.
Shidou, who had been lurking in the rain mist, swung his blade to try and take down the white horse.
The white horse, unable to withstand the surprise attack, turned and tried to back away from the blade. Although the ambush missed, it created an opening for a counterattack. Without hesitation, Shidou lunged forward. But.
[Hikiii,,,]
"Ugh, a side attack!"
Blocked by a water bullet from the black horse that came flying in from the side, the counterattack failed.
With a frustrated click of his tongue, he regained his stance, and a strange standoff formed between the two knights and their horses.
"You black horse. Are you trying to cover for the white horse while it attacks? A combination of the bright light spear and the black sweat shield... what a troublesome pair."
With his experience, Shidou understood the beast side's tactics from their limited close combat.
Those 2 horses weren't just a monochrome display. The powerful white horse had many openings when it shot lasers, while the black horse, with its dripping body, had a relatively short reach.
Each of their weaknesses was compensated for by the other's strengths. To break this mutual tactic, it was clear that Shidou and Sham alone were not enough.
(Even if I try to break the balance with my magic... there are still many other beasts left. It's still dangerous to the 'temple.')
While deploying the temple of Ehēcatl, his magic couldn't output its full potential. Moreover, with the rain falling and the color balance leaning towards blue, the effect of green magic was weakened.
Yes, Quollio's options were limited.
It felt like he was being pushed to the corner of this revenge drama.
Then.
Who would take the lead?
"Did a frog's heart sprout something without me knowing? Singing in the rain, how very uncharacteristic of you. Or is it just a late escape? Hehe. Either way, it works out nicely for me."
There was no need to ask.
Rose Carmine burst onto the scene, leading 2 fierce horses.
The mayor town, Haboch, shrank back under her glare.
The spotlight of this story should shine on no one but her.
"Why are you doing this, Lady Rose! Why are you acting like this!"
"Hehe. Why? Why indeed. Why is this happening? Yes, yes, truly. This world is full of things I just don't understand. It's all so unreasonable, and the questions never end, yet precious things are taken away without a second thought."
Rose spread her arms wide, splashing muddy water with her heels.
Her beauty held a breath-taking madness. There was a sticky obsession like blazing flames.
But the conflict was one-sided. Unlike Rose, Habocht couldn't grasp why words were being directed at him.
"But... why is that? Those screams always come from the ones being taken, while the takers wear such nonchalant faces. Right now, I probably have that same face. The same face you had once. I can tell without even looking in a mirror."
"W-what nonsense are you spouting? Stop this barbaric act at once!"
"Oh, why should I? Stirring up beasts and bringing disaster, isn't that what a 'witch' does? Just as this Joosa town wanted, Rose Carmine is a witch too, so there's nothing strange about it."
"We wanted that? What nonsense! That's just a story on stage... have you lost your mind?"
"──Ah ha. Ah ha ha! Yes, that's right. I've gone mad. Of course, I have! It was none other than you who made me this way! You, the Inquisitorial Council, this town full of pretenses! It's what you wished!"
"L-Lady Rose. What on earth are you saying...?"
"Facts and history are what I'm talking about. This is what you all wanted '18 years ago.' You're desperately trying to hide your dark sins with your fake innocence. I won't let you say you've forgotten."
"Eighteen years ago...!?"
Haboch's expression suddenly stiffened.
The town mayor's eyes were shaking, unable to hide his agitation.
His overwhelming panic was like a secret being exposed.
"It was a funeral rite, wasn't it? Spreading ashes in the wind and thinking about death, or something like that. Ha. Hahaha! Really putting on a facade and shamelessly pretending to be good. What thick skin you have. But too bad. No matter how much you try to push everything onto the wind... the sin of that day's burning cannot be erased. It won't disappear!"
Even though the rain hadn't stopped, the sound felt dead.
The witch drove the truth home with a scream that sounded like a scrawl.
An unquenchable hatred burned in her eyes.
"Eighteen years ago. Burning. Witch... could it be? You were a victim of the 'witch hunts.'."
"Witch hunts?"
Shidou's murmur was picked up by Quollio.
"It was long before you were even born, but you must have heard of it. The famine that struck Asgardam 20 years ago, along with the massive outbreak of beasts that followed."
"That's the case where the red Magi drastically decreased due to the famine, right? The cause is said to be unknown. But the witch hunts...?"
"There were rumors that this famine was a curse from Betraying Witch Yulirn... and that those born with her power caused it. As a result, a lynching known as 'witch hunts' occurred all over Asgardam."
"!"
What was woven was not a distant disaster but a deep scar born from it.
The hunger and poverty brought by the famine. To overcome this, what people needed was unity. They sought a scapegoat to unleash their anger born from injustice.
How horrific it was, a tragedy more terrifying than the famine itself. Just by looking at Shidou's expression, who knew the past, it was clear without needing to explain in detail.
The former king quickly banned it, so the damage in the Western Country or nearby areas was minimal. But...
(If there's damage nearby...)
Even in Joosa, located 50 miles southwest of the city, witch hunts must have happened too.
What flashed in Quollio mind was the bizarre scene from the previous stage.
As Yulirn, playing Rose, was burned at the stake, the people of Joosa transformed.
That frenzy was proof of a jury gone mad with judgment.
And then...
"Could it be, Rose Carmine? You are that witch, Karne Stalacua...!"
"────, ...Ah, how lovely. It seems you finally remembered. Then, let me introduce myself properly."
That witch, with a smile so beautiful it sent chills down my spine.
"I'm Rose Stalacua.
After the 'inquisition,' I was labeled a witch and killed... the only daughter of Karne Stalacua.
Cursing this town, filled with deceit, I am the one and only avenger."
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