Chapter 80 – Hellscape

Although the deal was over, she could not overcome the curiosity rising within her.

“But will you be alright? I don’t care about the Magic Tower professor, but the opponent is a witch, and a witch who is trying to fight in earnest at that. She probably won’t just back down like before, you know?”

Witches were non-human beings.

That was the same for herself, and it was the same for Gehenna.

“It will be scary if she comes in earnest. I feel like even you won’t be able to win, no matter how strong you are.”

She had estimated his power, but Gehenna possessed a very special power different from herself.

A power called ‘Descent into the Abyss’.

Recalling that, she harbored doubts about his chances of victory.

“Although it doesn’t matter to me since I am a fellow witch.”

She smiled gently.

“That doesn’t apply to our darling, does it?”

Rashid asked with a low expression.

“Are you worrying about me?”

“Yes. You don’t know at all what kind of power that woman possesses, do you? That’s why I’m worried.”

“You should speak accurately. You aren’t worried about me, you’re worried that a problem might arise with the magic book I will obtain for you.”

She pretended to be surprised, covering her mouth with her hand.

Of course, it was pretense.

“My, how accurate.”

“Don’t worry. That is my business.”

Veronica narrowed her eyes.

Where did this man’s confidence come from?

Gehenna would be different from herself.

At least, there was no one in the current Holy Order who could overcome Gehenna’s power.

Having stared at him with suspicious eyes for a long time, she captured a good opportunity.

He, who had been staring only at her, turned his gaze elsewhere for a moment.

“It is the Dharma Mage Division. Are they looking for the revolutionary army’s stronghold?”

Rashid was observing the dharma mages in green robes who were conducting inquiries nearby.

Thinking this was the moment, she dropped a few drops of elixir into his coffee cup with swift hand movements.

Cupid’s Elixir.

It was an elixir with a fun power that made the opponent lose their mind with just a few drops.

When Rashid’s gaze returned to its place, she showed a thick smile as if nothing had happened.

A brightly smiling face.

Without even looking, Rashid spilled the coffee cup in front of him on the ground.

Her expression hardened, and Rashid spoke with an still indifferent face.

“I always keep in mind the fact that you are a witch. I also know well that you will stab me in the back someday.”

After a short silence, she responded in a cold tone.

“Yet you made a deal with me? Even while unable to trust.”

Witches.

Although they were a crowd that could not be trusted, if a sufficient closeness and bond were built, development to a general relationship was possible.

Beyond that was also possible.

Only.

‘That is a thing done by fellows who have nothing else to do.’

Rashid had no intention of doing that at all, and only planned to utilize her at a reasonable line.

Realistically, in the hostile Magic Tower, the only person who would communicate secretly with him was a witch like her who pursued her own interests.

“Because the only ones usable as a spy are you guys. Or would other fellows of the Magic Tower cooperate with me? Rather, that is more suspicious. Since their purposes cannot be known.”

“What about me?”

“You are obvious. Because what you want is firm. Instead.”

The subsequent words carried certainty.

“You will become an enemy if that falls through, though.”

“You know well.”

“So I hope you won’t do the dog-like act of earlier.”

Rashid’s expression sank infinitely, delivering a solemn warning.

“This is the last time I let it slide. If you repeat the same mistake, then I will target you first, not the Magic Tower professor. This is sincere.”

Smiling gently was also a past thing.

Her expression, which returned to business, had also become colder than ever.

Perhaps the expression she wore now was her true feelings in dealing with Rashid.

Then, her expression, which gradually changed into pretense, was filled with a smile again.

“Fine. It’s sincere, so what can I do. I should be careful.”

“I like that you listen well.”

“But how can I trust you?”

“An Inquisitor who might hunt me if something goes wrong?”

Standing up from his seat, Rashid spoke casually.

“The reason I became an Inquisitor was not to beat down and catch witches like you. The fellows I target are separate.”

“And I am not among them?”

“There is no benefit in fighting a witch for no reason. That will be mutual. I will ask. Do you also target Inquisitors?”

“No. Not particularly.”

“Stop arguing about useless things and let’s just pursue our respective interests. I want the guy, and you need that magic book, don’t you?”

Looking only at his talking attitude.

No corner to suspect was seen.

Because it was actually so.

She agreed by smiling lightly without an answer.

“Let’s go back. The dharma mages are moving.”

* * *

A dharma commander in purple robes, who wore a hood deeply, stood before a walking person.

It was a normal imperial citizen.

To him, who was terrified, the dharma commander showed the palm of his hand.

An eye-like drawing was drawn on his palm.

“Concentrate here. Then nothing will happen.”

The imperial citizen’s gaze concentrated on the dharma commander’s palm, as if possessed by something.

Subsequently, his consciousness was captured by magical power.

“Speak. Where is the revolutionary army now?”

“The revolutionary army is……”

The imperial citizens who were caught by magic poured out everything they knew.

If they did not know, they said they did not know.

If they knew, they confessed everything they knew.

In this way, the Dharma Mage Division was able to find the stronghold of the revolutionary army without much difficulty.

The slums located in the outskirts of the capital.

Numerous portals began to form in the place suspected to be the stronghold of the revolutionary army.

Subsequently, there was the Dharma Mage Division, whose number was immeasurable, walking out of the portals.

Dharma mages in green robes and dharma commanders in purple robes.

Finally, even the pure white Dharma Officer leading them.

Dharma Officer Aren pulled up the corners of his mouth as he saw the Dharma Mage Division dispersing here and there.

‘Is it here? The place where the revolutionary army is hiding.’

If they set their mind to it and rushed into the lower world’s affairs.

There was nothing the Dharma Mage Division could not accomplish.

Dharma Officer Aren issued a command to the entirety of the Dharma Mage Division that came out of the portals.

“Search for the representative of the Golden Age Party! We have received the imperial family’s permission, so you may kill anyone who interferes.”

The dharma mages who received the command dispersed all at once.

They entered into battle with the revolutionary army that was hiding inside the buildings, and soon, screams and gunfire echoed here and there.

Also, the sound of boot steps was heard from quite far away.

Seeing the imperial family’s flag waving at the vanguard, it was the Imperial Army.

The Imperial Army began to blockade the area, receiving the command of the Imperial Guard knight.

“Dharma Officer Aren. Is it here?”

There was someone who came out along the portal Aren had opened.

It was Marcus, the Captain of the Guards.

He continued, scanning the surroundings with blood-red eyes.

“The place where the revolutionary army hid.”

“Yes, according to our inquiries, this is the most likely.”

Marcus showed a bitter smile.

To think the bastards’ stronghold would be inside the capital.

“I heard their training ground is outside the capital. But I did not know they would keep their stronghold inside the capital. Well, if it is a sewer-like place like this, they wouldn’t have known well even if they hid.”

The Captain of the Guards also.

Issued a command to the elite knights who followed him.

“Sweep away everything without leaving a single rat. There is no exception.”

The vampire knights wearing magic armor disappeared in an instant, and soon began to slaughter everything that was hiding here and there.

It was everyone, including the revolutionary army.

“It will end quickly.”

Dharma Officer Aren laughed.

The Dharma Mage Division and even the Imperial Guard knights stepped forward, and the outside was surrounded by the Imperial Army.

A clean sweep.

“We will kill everyone without leaving a single one. The crime of humiliating the imperial family and daring to plot rebellion. They can never survive.”

“With this, we will take the Immortal Heart.”

Dharma Officer Aren spoke casually, but it was not something the Captain of the Guards would be pleased to hear.

‘How dare the bug-like things covet the treasure of the imperial family.’

Captain of the Guards Marcus.

Although he was authoritarian as one who believed in imperial family absolutism and treated humans like bugs.

As much as his loyalty to the imperial family was sincere, he was the loyal dog among loyal dogs.

He clearly remembered what the princess had secretly said.

That they had no intention of handing over the Immortal Heart to them.

“Ah, the Inquisitor has also come.”

Among them.

The one who revealed herself last via portal was the person of the Holy Order.

She appeared together with her assistant, and the Captain of the Guards was the only one who welcomed her.

“Is it here? The place where the revolutionary army’s stronghold is.”

“Yes, that is right. Since we and the Dharma Mage Division are making diligent efforts, you may just wait here, Inquisitor.”

Dharma Officer Aren did not look upon the Inquisitor who joined this place favorably.

“We alone would be sufficient, why did you even call an Inquisitor?”

The Captain of the Guards laughed.

“It is all the imperial family’s will. How would I know? Since it is an imperial command, I have no choice but to follow.”

Dharma Officer Aren narrowed his eyes.

The imperial family’s intention was highly suspicious.

“In any case, we are taking the Immortal Heart. There should be no disagreement on this.”

“Could there be? The Dharma Mage Division will take the Immortal Heart. As long as the party representative dies without fail.”

Aren glared at her, whether he realized it or not, but she was not even casting a look.

A completely indifferent attitude.

‘There is nothing to care about. She is just a single Inquisitor.’

But suddenly, the surrounding atmosphere cooled down.

Everyone reflexively began to scan the surroundings, and the Captain of the Guards spoke out.

“What is it? Suddenly the atmosphere…… did someone set a barrier?”

The surroundings became desolate and throats began to burn.

The air was hot and dry as if harboring flames, so every time they inhaled once, their throats split scratchily.

“Ahem! This is not the air of this place. It feels like we have come to a burning desert.”

This atmosphere.

Aria remembered tasting it in the past.

Because the surrounding atmosphere was exactly like this when the archdemon Scarver descended.

“Karl, wear the magic armor I gave you.”

Finishing her words, she opened the armory and wore magic armor.

The Captain of the Guards was flustered, and Dharma Officer Aren watched somewhere with a bad expression.

“A very unwelcome guest has come.”

The Captain of the Guards expressed doubt.

“Who is it?”

“She is coming over there.”

Where the gaze of the two reached, a girl was walking, changing the surrounding atmosphere like hell.

“It is Gehenna. A witch belonging to the Purgatory Witches, who has the moniker of Hell Girl. And this is……”

Aren continued speaking about the uncomfortable surroundings.

“It is her reality-erosion magic, Hellscape. It is a magic that is like her symbol, changing reality into hell.”

Dharma Officer Aren deployed a magic barrier.

It was an action that could not be shown if he perceived her as an ally.

The Captain of the Guards had an expression of not being able to understand.

“Isn’t she from the same Magic Tower?”

Dharma Officer Aren’t expression was not good.

It was true they were from the same Magic Tower, but even so, they were not on the same side.

Even in the Magic Tower, the Dharma Mage Division and the Purgatory Witches had always clashed, and also the witches were all doing as they pleased, so the identification of friend or foe was not clear.

“I heard that woman also wants the Immortal Heart like us.”

A witch who lost her heart due to a contract with a demon.

Because she had no heart, she was one who yearned for a heart more than anyone else.

Dharma Officer Aren drew a clear line.

“She is an enemy. At least to me.”

She, who was moving her steps with a lifeless expressionless face, came to a halt without warning.

If it were a doll standing in hell, would it feel like that?

As she, lightly raising one hand, prepared something, Dharma Officer Aren, who recognized it, smiled bitterly.

‘She doesn’t think of the consequences at all.’

Subsequently, guests from hell began to reveal their appearances in all directions.

They were hell fiends descended on this place.