Chapter 47

The woman vanished from the sky, and once twilight returned to the city previously enveloped in darkness, Shizuku glanced up at Lars. “What was all that about…?” she asked, her voice trembling at the end of her sentence. “A declaration of war, obviously. From a witch.” “A-a witch?” “They’re only human.” After the Dark Age came the Age of Witches—a time when five fearsome witches lurked in the shadows of history. The king, carrying a sword that even witches feared, showed no trace of emotion. His haughty blue eyes looked over the top of Shizuku’s head as he addressed the man who’d appeared at the end of the hallway. “So? Where are we headed?” “The ruins of Helginis. A new castle was built there.” “Erik!” Hearing Shizuku call out his name, Erik glanced at her for a moment, a conflicted look on his face. Shizuku tried to run toward him, but he kept her away with his hand. “I’m covered in demon blood. You shouldn’t get too close.” “I’m sorry! I…” “I’m the one who should be apologizing. I’m glad you’re safe.” Erik then turned to Niké and gave him a small nod of gratitude. “Thank you. You saved her.” “…You have no reason to thank me,” Niké replied curtly. Erik thought to himself for a moment, then stepped closer to whisper something in Niké’s ear. The other man scowled deeply. “I don’t know. They’ve probably taken precautions to avoid being followed.” “That’s true. Sorry for bothering you. I just thought it was worth asking.” Before Shizuku had the chance to wonder what they were talking about, Erik turned back to the king and carried on issuing his report. “I also got to have a bit of a look around inside the castle, but it’s quite large. Being a magic structure, it’s taller than any normal building could ever be.” “Is that where the witch is?” “Most likely—along with all the other high-ranking demons that have appeared in the castle city.” A change was coming. The return of darkness and the battle to overthrow it were drawing near. Shizuku felt a silent commotion stirring inside her, prompting her to place a hand on her chest. Without realizing it, she started to hold her breath. Why did she feel so anxious? When her wandering gaze met Erik’s, he frowned. It was unusual to see hesitation in his expression. However, the king’s commanding voice soon broke the tension. “There’s something else, isn’t there? Spit it out.” With all eyes on him, Erik wiped the hesitant look off his face. His emotionless gaze met that of the king. “That witch…is the owner of the red book.” This was the book they’d been searching for, the one that chronicled events concealed from history, thought to be one of the interlopers’ cursed artifacts. Shizuku was the only one left speechless by this revelation. Leuticia sighed, while Niké’s expression grew confused. Lars, meanwhile, chuckled and looked up at the darkened sky above him. The sun was setting. The brief twilight was drawing to a close. The long night that would follow would be unlike any this continent had ever seen. The Seventh Witch had declared war, aiming to restore the darkness that had once prevailed. Shizuku felt everything sway, as if she was dizzy, and pressed a hand against her forehead. She exhaled shallowly as she closed her eyes. It was the same darkness that had existed in the beginning—one that seemed like it was within reach, yet couldn’t be touched. It felt as though it was enveloping the entire world.