Chapter 109

A crowd of onlookers had gathered before Bestia, barred by a black veil.

Bestia, shrouded as if covered by a massive black bowl, was visible even from other cities tens of kilometers away, its scale immense.

No one could enter. It repelled hammers, deflected spells, and prevented any insight into its interior.

An entire nation had suddenly fallen under a veil of mystery overnight.

No one could guess what sort of phenomenon this was or what events were unfolding inside.

Meanwhile, on the other, deserted side of the veil…

Two witches, Mirabel and Morgana, had teleported to Bestia. Mirabel placed her hand on the barrier, analyzing its structure.

“This power feels similar to magic but foreign.”

“It’s yokai energy. It’s mainly used by yokai creatures that reside in the East. Instead of magic, they use sorcery.”

“...Sorcery.”

Mirabel’s hand glowed with a deep blue mana, and what should have been an impenetrable barrier, impervious to destruction, was pierced effortlessly. Mirabel’s hand slipped right through.

She interpreted the strange energy she felt through her touch.

“It’s akin to mind control magic.”

The entire massive barrier was a device for manipulating minds. It couldn’t be shattered by force. Breaking it would risk damaging the minds of those inside.

The safest and most reliable method, then, was to have the caster deactivate it directly.

“Morgana, let’s go in.”

“Sure thing~”

Mirabel and Morgana cast mana shields around themselves, their bodies enveloped in a soft glow.

“That won’t be enough.”

Fwoosh!

Mirabel reinforced Morgana’s shield with her own mana, making it even thicker and stronger.

“Wow.”

Though a common expression, Morgana’s admiration was genuine.

Morgana was no ordinary witch; she was powerful enough to have claimed a seat as an elder of the Tower. She’d dedicated centuries of her life and passion solely to magic, priding herself on being second to none in her craft.

But before Mirabel’s magic, any confidence she held vanished. Mirabel’s mastery could reduce even the mightiest archmages to mere mortals.

Even in the simple act of reinforcing a mana shield, the difference in their skill was apparent. Morgana felt an instinctual reverence; following Mirabel felt natural.

Encased in an impregnable barrier resistant to both physical and mental attacks, the two stepped inside.

Contrary to the dark, ominous exterior, the barrier’s interior was filled with a wondrous rainbow of colors. Most of the citizens of Bestia, being beastfolk, were spellbound, staring blankly at the lights, their eyes unfocused and mouths agape.

They looked like they were lost in a blissful dream—though not by choice.

Everyone wore the same expression, regardless of age, gender, or race, which made the sight all the more eerie.

Mirabel and Morgana continued forward, taking in the sights as they walked purposefully toward their destination.

“This is it.”

They stopped before Tenshangru, a building exuding a distinctly Eastern aesthetic. Inside was the perpetrator of this event.

The barrier had evidently failed to block sorcery, as a tiger beastfolk stood outside, staring blankly at the sky.

Ascending to the second floor, Mirabel encountered the first individuals in Bestia who appeared normal.

“And you are…?”

A white fox and a black fox. Yuha and Heukbi.

Yuha, the heavenly fox, had lost her powers after defying the heavens, but Heukbi was different. Though her fox orb had been absorbed by the Gumiho, it had originally been a creation of yokai energy.

Losing the fox orb didn’t mean Heukbi’s power had vanished.

During Lin’s spell, Heukbi had managed to create a small barrier to protect both herself and Yuha’s minds.

As a fellow fox yokai adept in sorcery, Heukbi had held her ground just enough to shield herself. She could only protect herself, not counter Lin’s sorcery.

“You…!”

Yuha’s eyes widened in shock upon recognizing Mirabel.

When she had first encountered Karami, she had inadvertently touched the shackle extending from his soul and met Mirabel. The overwhelming presence she’d felt had driven her to flee.

Though this was their first direct meeting, they might as well be old acquaintances.

Mirabel wasn’t the only one who knew Yuha. Morgana, noticing Yuha crouched within a small barrier, sneered derisively.

“Yuha, you’ve become quite pathetic since I last saw you.”

“Morgana…”

Yuha, the Heavenly Fox. She was once known as the Witch Who Read the Flow of Fate. Although, with her power gone, she could no longer be called a witch.

“What brings witches to Bestia?”

“We’re here to fetch our master.”

“Master…? Don’t tell me…you’re also his slave?”

Heukbi couldn’t hide her astonishment. The energy emanating from Mirabel was unfathomable in depth, comparable to the vastness of the cosmos.

It was hard to believe that such a transcendent being could be a slave to Karami. With her power, she could probably conquer the world if he so commanded.

“Morgana, I’ll be back shortly. Please protect these two.”

“Of course~”

Mirabel gripped her staff tightly, gazing intently at one corner of the room. It appeared to be an ordinary office, but she could feel the strangeness in the air.

A presence from another space.

Beyond this point was her master.

Mirabel drew a line in the air with her staff.

“Master, try this.”

Lin, providing a tail pillow for Karami, slipped a grape into his mouth. Karami obediently accepted, like a baby bird.

“How is it? Tasty?”

“Oh, it’s incredibly delicious. I’ve never tasted grapes this good.”

“Right? They’re just regular grapes, but I cast a delicious, delicious spell on them. These are love grapes, filled with Lin’s affection.”

To charm a man, one must captivate his taste buds. Lin was putting into practice a method of seduction she’d picked up somewhere.

A taste of fantasy that regular grapes could never achieve. With her affection, they tasted that much better!

…Well, that’s what she told him. In truth, it was just sorcery to deceive his taste buds.

And it wasn’t just his sense of taste that had been enchanted.

A sky of twilight, blurring the boundary between day and night. Stars scattered like silver sand.

The ground was covered in soft white clouds, with a crystal-clear lake where koi swam freely.

Unlike the bleak outside world, this dreamy space was enchanting enough to blend into one’s consciousness. Lin’s illusion, Dream Garden.

It was an earthly paradise that made one forget the flow of time. Lin’s ploy to ensnare Karami’s senses so that he would never want to leave her side.

“How about it, Master? You don’t want to leave now, do you?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to, but I must.”

Karami’s answer remained unchanged. Lin’s delicate brow furrowed.

“...So a slave you don’t even know is more important than me?”

“I know who they are. I just haven’t met them yet.”

Though his words were sincere, to Lin, they sounded like flimsy excuses. She was certain he was just making up reasons to leave her side.

It seemed he hadn’t fully succumbed to paradise. But Lin had a trump card left.

“Master, how about we do something…pleasant?”

Lin was a Gumiho, a creature with a natural talent for bewitching people, especially men.

Her scent, every little gesture, was designed to drive men wild. If they shared an intimate moment, even Karami wouldn’t be able to resist.

Lin’s tails gently wrapped around Karami’s limbs. Her long, slender fingers traced up from his abdomen to his neck, softly caressing his face.

“Fufu.”

Lin’s eyes curved mischievously as she smiled, anticipating a delightful moment with her master.

Screeeech!@@novelbin@@

The sound of something tearing rang out.

A diagonal rift split the air, and an uninvited guest entered.

“Up we go.”

Perhaps she’d made the rift too high. Mirabel, clutching her skirt, hopped through it with a cute little jump.

“Huh?”

Karami’s eyes widened like a fish as he saw Mirabel appear out of nowhere. Meeting his gaze, Mirabel’s face lit up with a smile.

It was a bright expression she hadn’t worn since she’d parted from him.

“Master!”

“M-Miss Mirabel? How did you get here…?”

“I came to take you back!”

With an adorable, rapid stride, Mirabel dashed toward Karami. At that moment, a blazing spear shot toward her at supernatural speed.

Boom!

The spear struck Mirabel and exploded in a cloud of smoke.

“Lin?”

Lin stood with her arm outstretched toward Mirabel, her expression serious. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the dissipating smoke.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind blew the smoke away, revealing Mirabel, protected by a barrier around her staff, completely unharmed.

Lin wasn’t particularly surprised. She smirked, twisting her lips into a mocking grin.

“Mind not approaching Master so recklessly?”

“So, it’s you. The monstrous fox by Master’s side.”

“‘Monstrous fox’? I have a lovely name my master gave me—Lin, remember?”

Lin proudly hugged Karami close as she spoke.

“Well, I also have a name from my master, the most beautiful and cutest in the world, ‘Mirabel,’ which means I’ll perform miracles.”

Wait, isn’t that just your actual name?

And it was even a name given by her late father. What a devoted daughter.

As Karami silently observed their conversation, the two women continued to stare each other down.

“You’re not even Master’s slave anymore, are you? Don’t you think calling him ‘Master’ is a bit out of line?”

“Once a slave, always a slave. Not even death could separate us.”

But neither of you is technically my slave anymore.

After all that effort to set them free, why do they keep calling themselves slaves?

Though, unlike Lin, who only claimed to be his slave, Mirabel was truly bound by choice, voluntarily placing herself in his service.

“I’m taking Master with me. Step aside.”

“Nope. Master’s staying here with me, forever.”

“Master is someone who brings freedom and joy to many slaves. He doesn’t have time to stagnate in a place like this.”

“That joy belongs to me alone. No one else can have it.”

Their opposing views clashed fiercely, neither willing to back down.

Mirabel glared at Lin, while Lin returned her gaze with a cold smile.

“There’s no need for further talk. To think you’d dare imprison Master. You deserve judgment.”

A small, dark-blue point appeared in midair. The point expanded, tendrils of mana spiraling outward until a massive figure holding a scythe manifested.

Lin didn’t back down. Ensuring Karami was safe behind her, she rose to her feet.

With a thud, she stomped the ground, unleashing a pink aura that formed the shape of a colossal Gumiho.

Roar!

The Dream Garden trembled under the Gumiho’s fierce roar.

Lin chuckled wickedly.

“Judgment? Let’s see you try. But worry about your own fate first.”