Chapter 83 – Witch Hunt

The Dharma Division that had been scattered gathered around Dharma Officer Aren.

They reported the matters regarding Gehenna to him.

“Gehenna sent Kaiser and the Inquisitor to hell?”

“Yes, judging by their sudden disappearance, it seems Gehenna sent them using Abyss Fall.”

At this point, the Order’s exorcism strength was almost non-existent.

If there was one, Inquisitor Aria, who had personally executed the Director of Palace Affairs, would be the only one.

Other exorcism forces were either not yet reported or not considered important by them.

“Which Inquisitor was it?”

“It was the Inquisitor who identified himself as Rashid Preston.”

“Rashid Preston… It is not that woman.”

Nothing was known about him in the Magic Tower yet.

If there was anything, it was only that he had fought on par with the witch Veronica during the Director of Palace Affairs incident.

However, mere strength did not guarantee survival in hell.

“In that case, it will be hard for him to survive in hell. If a follower of the Sacred Blood’s will was dragged in front of a great demon, he would not escape death.”

Perhaps things would have been seen differently if it had been Inquisitor Aria.

“We can consider the leader of the Golden Age Party dead then.”

At the moment they were taking the deaths of the two for granted.

There was an energy of a solemn and dignified one casting over them.

The Dharma Division, kneeling on one knee and showing solemn respects, welcomed the Dragon Eyes manifesting within their minds.

The golden irises and the narrowly slit vertical pupils were piercing through everything.

—What happened to the Immortal Heart?

In the face of irresistible power.

Representing the Dharma Division, Dharma Officer Aren calmly spoke.

“There will be no problem with the retrieval. Please trust us and wait.”

—I shall trust you.

The solemn energy that had touched the Dharma Division receded.

They rose to their feet, and Dharma Officer Aren spoke again.

“We cannot hand over the Immortal Heart to Gehenna.”

If things flowed like this, the owner of the Immortal Heart would have no choice but to be Gehenna.

Unable to tolerate this, Aren thought of dealing with her.

“Where is Gehenna now, and what is she doing?”

There was no place in the area where the revolutionary army had been wiped out that was out of the Dharma Division’s sight.

Since even if they did not look directly, the monitoring eyes were continuously active.

“It seems a conflict has arisen with Veronica. She is fighting fiercely with her right now.”

“With Veronica?”

Aren recalled the story that Veronica had aligned herself with the Golden Age Party.

“I don’t understand. What did Veronica lack that she did not even hesitate to fight Gehenna? Was that place so important?”

The Veronica he usually knew was someone who hit and run appropriately, not the type to fight to the bitter end.

There was only one exception: when her fuse blew.

At those times, she was also ready for anything.

“Before sending Kaiser and the Inquisitor to hell, Gehenna had first sent Veronica, who was in the way of her work, to hell using Abyss Fall.”

“She sent Veronica to hell?”

“Yes, they seem to be fighting because of that matter.”

Aren knitted his brows in thought.

‘If she was hit by Abyss Fall, she must have met a great demon. She managed to return alive. Did she offer her heart?’

If she had offered her heart, returning would have been instantaneous.

Thus, without thinking any deeper, Dharma Officer Aren ordered the entire Dharma Division.

“This is actually for the best. When they grow tired of fighting, target both of them.”

“Even Veronica?”

A Dharma Leader of the Purple Robe expressed concern.

“Dharma Officer. Gehenna is related to the Immortal Heart, but Veronica has no relation to it. If we capture two witches, the Purgatory Coven will certainly have something to say. In the worst case, our relationship with the Purgatory Coven might go sour.”

Aren shook his head.

“Even so, I cannot trust Veronica. Though she says the Immortal Heart is not her goal.”

He recalled the Dragon Eyes that had cast over him just a moment ago.

He could not bring deep disappointment to that person.

“She is a woman whose words can change at any time. Do you still not know witches?”

Only then did the Dharma Leader save his words as if convinced.

Aren continued his orders.

“Watch them, and once the outcome is decided, do not delay and target both. I will not tolerate any variables in retrieving the Immortal Heart.”

The entire Dharma Division, having received the orders, moved, and Dharma Officer Aren was with them.

* * *

The movement of the Dharma Division was caught in her Deepsight.

Aria could feel a sense of relief in her own way at the interestingly unfolding situation.

Since the one she targeted was only the Dharma Officer, not the entire Dharma Division.

‘Are they targeting the witch?’

The one who would possess the Immortal Heart was only one.

If they had no intention of handing it over to the witch, the movement the Dharma Division was showing now could be fully explained.

“It seems the Dharma Officer is planning to target the witch. That is how the movements look.”

At her words as she watched the battlefield, Karl understood the situation.

“It seems the Dharma Division also does not want to lose the Immortal Heart.”

He then relayed the story he had accidentally heard to her.

“Chief Inquisitor. I heard it only briefly, but it seems Chief Inquisitor Rashid went to hell.”

“Hell?”

“Yes, I accidentally overheard what the surrounding Dharma masters said.”

“Is that possible?”

“They said a witch named Gehenna was involved, but I do not know well.”

If she had not heard anything from him, she would have fallen into shock, but because of what he had said, she was able to maintain her composure.

On the other hand, Karl was different.

“If he went to hell… is he not dead?”

“No. He will return.”

It was she who led him, dispirited as he was, just as usual.

She possessed confidence in her own way.

“Because he is not someone who would pass away so easily. So do not be so disheartened; let’s move in our own way. Since we must complete our special mission.”

The Dharma Division was targeting the two witches, and if the two witches were not easy opponents, the Dharma Division would certainly have no choice but to incur damage.

That would be the opportunity.

“It seems we just need to watch and target the Dharma Officer at the very end. Karl, do not worry about the person who went for a walk in hell, and focus on the work here.”

Although he could not understand the faith she showed.

He could sympathize with the fact that the situation was not easy.

Soon steeling his heart, Karl bowed his head.

“Just give the order. I will absolutely not disappoint you.”

* * *

Veronica, her burning hair fluttering, snapped her fingers to turn the surroundings into a sea of fire in an instant.

The splendid rush that followed.

Each of her tails left a trail of flame, dyeing the surroundings red.

Standing in the place Veronica targeted was the witch known as the Hell Maiden.

An expressionless face like a doll, lifeless pupils.

The moment Gehenna gestured, Veronica’s flames subsided, and the energy of hell crushed the space.

Every time fire and hell, the two forces, collided, the air twisted as if exploding, and the witches clashed violently with the will to destroy each other without backing down a single step.

“It seems you’ve already forgotten my temper? I’ll burn everything down!”

The flames that had subsided flared up again, and at the same time, the hem of the Hell Maiden’s skirt churned.

Veronica, circling around the Hell Maiden and looking for an opportunity, dug in quickly with Light Speed Teleportation.

Before Gehenna could react, she wrapped one tail around her ankle, preventing her escape.

The remaining tails began to ravage the Hell Maiden with their own will.

Striking, strangling, and burning fiercely.

Her flames bit into the Hell Maiden like a living predator coated in anger and tenacity.

Thanks to that, the doll-like body became a wreck in an instant, yet not a single crack appeared on the expressionless face.

Soon, reality tore open and they appeared.

The demons of hell.

The Hellscape unfolded.

Hellish fiends rampaged, and the hellish fiends squeezing out of the crevices targeted Veronica like an angry wave.

Rushing once more, Veronica watched the demons of hell pursuing her.

The hellish fiends engulfed in flames looked as if they would chase her to the end of the earth.

‘She summoned something troublesome.’

The clash between the two witches grew harsher by the day.

Every time fire and hell clashed, the air wailed as if torn, and the earth crumbled, unable to withstand it.

‘Murderous indeed.’

Watching this from afar, a Dharma master spat out a brief impression inwardly.

There was absolutely no room to intervene.

The moment one was caught up in that, it would mean immediate death.

Perhaps one would even be crushed by the mana radiated by the two witches and lose consciousness.

The Dharma Leaders of the Purple Robe comforted the wavering Dharma masters and waited for the right time.

“Hold your positions. The Dharma Officer will arrive soon.”

Shortly after, Dharma Officer Aren showed himself.

Aren, sensing the intensified fight between the two witches from afar, spoke.

“Even for a witch, mana is not infinite. The outcome will be decided soon, so wait.”

Just as he said.

The fierce fight between the two witches was showing its end before they knew it.

Unlike Veronica whose contract relation was valid, Gehenna, whose contract relation was severed, was pushed back in the end.

“Demonic Attire Molting…”

She tried to attempt molting following the attire change, but the severed contract relation was blocking it.

Veronica, who was strangling Gehenna’s neck, glared at her with an unfavorable gaze.

“Oh my, it seems you’ve been abandoned? Seeing that your molting failed.”

Veronica recalled the great demon who had suffered humiliation from a certain Inquisitor and exited.

“Then again, you should have chosen your opponent carefully before sending them. Did you think he would like it if you just sent anyone?”

Gehenna grabbed her hands that were strangling her neck, but Veronica had no intention of going easy.

“Oh right. You didn’t have a heart, did you?”

Following that, the burning flames engulfed Gehenna.

Leaving behind Gehenna who soon turned to ashes, Veronica wore a complex expression.

Because not only was this situation itself unpleasant, but the aftermath was also unwelcome.

‘The Eldest Sister is going to make a fuss. She told us never to fight among ourselves.’

But that was not the end.

There were Dharma masters casting a barrier around the area, and Dharma Leaders of the Purple Robe stepping forward to check her.

Veronica’s expression sank low.

“What kind of act is this? Are you trying to do a witch hunt?”

The last to appear among the Dharma Division was the Dharma Officer wearing pure white dharma robes.

Aren stood in front of her with a relaxed smile.

“I’m sorry, Veronica. But I absolutely cannot yield the Immortal Heart.”

At that, Veronica frowned.

“Look here. I have no interest in the Immortal Heart.”

Aren shook his head.

“I do not believe what a witch says. Since they are a breed whose words always change. If you demand the Immortal Heart on behalf of Gehenna, it is my side that gets put in a difficult spot. Then from our perspective, it is only right that you, who caught Gehenna, disappear.”

Her hair that had subsided began to burn fiercely once more.

“Sigh… I never expected to be stabbed in the back by a fellow Magic Tower person. Can you handle this?”

“Me? Or are you speaking of the Purgatory Coven?”

Of course, this matter would become a problem.

It was obvious that the relationship with the Purgatory Coven, which had barely been patched up, would go sour.

But they had him.

An out-of-spec existence whose strength could not dare be measured.

“It does not matter. Bringing disappointment to that person is the bigger problem.”

Veronica lightly scanned the surroundings.

Escaping through a portal was impossible due to the barrier.

It looked like they had prepared very thoroughly to capture her, but she had no intention of being easily taken down.

“Right, let’s go back to the past. It’s not like we were ever friendly from the start, were we?”