City of Witches Chapter 395

It took only five minutes after passing through the ‘Gate’ with approval from the Border Town’s immigration office to arrive at the promised location.

A sky so clear it seemed fragile, and the smell of oil mixed with the fishy scent of the sea.

Massive heavy machinery, larger than most buildings, could be seen everywhere, moving parts bigger than ordinary trucks.

Only fifteen minutes remained until noon.

Siwoo placed a cigarette in his mouth and checked the cloak draped over his shoulders.

It was an elegant cloak designed not to hinder arm movement, with strings inside connected to his wrists so he could wrap it around his body at any moment.

Honestly, Siwoo’s visit to Flora Arabesque was closer to grasping at straws.

The countless Artifacts utilized by the Witch of Desire had one thing in common.

They were all weapons capable of striking from a distance.

Even with the Maiden’s Loom, Siwoo’s stage was extreme close-quarters combat.

Clover alone couldn’t bridge that gap, so another means was necessary.

Combining the few clues he’d gathered so far led to an answer.

The conversation he’d had with Flora herself when he went to get his swimsuit fitted.

‘There’s nothing I can’t teach. If I put my mind to it, the clothes I weave can defend against most Magic.’

And the conversation he’d had in passing with Count Yesod.

‘If she had continued to dedicate herself to Magic Research… It’s something no one knows, but she would have reached a very high level, right? She’s been at the 22nd hierarchy since ancient times.’

As soon as Siwoo entered the tailor shop, he knelt and bowed his head.

Then he requested the creation of a cloak, utilizing her innate magic to the maximum, at the level of a ‘Ceremonial Artifact.’

The reaction?

As expected.

Unlike with Periwinkle, the two had no connection apart from the three suits of clothes he’d ordered.

To such an unreasonable request, Flora fiddled with her pipe, seeming annoyed.

It was an absurd demand: to make men’s clothing, a cloak that wasn’t particularly pretty at that, and to imbue it with Ceremonial Artifact-level defensive performance.

‘Don’t be a bother. Get out.’ That was probably her version of a polite response.

But he was lucky.

Siwoo had a platinum card and credit certificate issued in the name of the Jemernai Count Family.

He handed it to Flora.

Even Flora, who seemed indifferent and annoyed unless it piqued her interest, smiled meaningfully and accepted Siwoo’s proposal.

Honestly, imagining how many gold coins were transferred to Flora’s vault via the credit certificate was frightening.

He felt sorry for Count Albireo, who had trusted him with it, but if he returned alive, he planned to make up for it somehow.

“Hoo…”

All preparations were complete.

The moment he exhaled cigarette smoke and took a step forward.

The world stopped.

An eerily profound silence.

The workers bustling around the shipyard, the heavy machinery, the cranes—all came to a halt as if it were a lie.

Above all, with just that one step, this world turned to night.

He had entered a Hidden Boundary.

But it was different from an ordinary barrier.

It was a barrier created by an Artifact in Bianca’s possession.

Just as he had seen in the records.

“…….”

Emotions too complex to sort out in his head.

Sometimes, such emotions, when voiced, coalesce into a single sentence.

“I’ll probably die.”

He was afraid.

Terrified.

He wanted to run away even now.

The situation was so abrupt that he couldn’t say goodbye to the Twins, to Master, to Sharon, or to the many others.

“Better than not dying.”

Compared to this reckless charge, Don Quixote’s charge toward the rotating windmills would have been an incredibly thoughtful and cautious act.

Yet, what drove these footsteps forward was friendship for a friend who kept his promise.

Rage toward an enemy who trampled on that friend.

Like chipping away edges, he set aside temptation and hesitation.

Siwoo removed his eyepatch and opened his eyes, which he had briefly closed.

What appeared before him was a massive ship still under construction inside a giant dock.

Its scale, like several buildings fused together, felt even more imposing because the lower part wasn’t submerged underwater.

He checked the cloak once more and shouldered his spear.

In the darkness, with all work lights extinguished, the stern shimmered as if declaring its presence.

Leaping up and boarding the ship, Siwoo couldn’t help but tilt his head in confusion.

A container ship is a cargo vessel.

To describe its appearance without cargo loaded: it’s like several large baskets elongated and connected to cram in as many containers as possible. Unlike passenger ships, it abandons aesthetics or charm, allocating all stats to practicality.

However, instead of a wide-open cargo hold, the stern was laid with a splendid deck, as if boarding a cruise ship, and gentle lights welcomed Siwoo.

It was far removed from the bloody, fierce battle Siwoo had anticipated.

“…….”

Amidst all this bewilderment, someone walked out from over there.

He reflexively gripped his spear.

Impeccably dressed in a gentleman’s suit and shoes, holding an old-fashioned ledger in its arms—its identity was…

For starters, it wasn’t human.

“Mr. Shin Siwoo, it’s an honor that you accepted the invitation.”

A skull with hollow eyes and nose.

Even the hands and wrists visible outside the suit were white bone.

If a skeleton from a fantasy genre were realistically depicted, it would likely look exactly like this.

It probably lacked vocal cords as well, as its voice resembled trembling air rather than ordinary speech.

Likely a golem or a Familiar.

The skull, with absurdly polite speech, bowed and extended the ledger and pen like a well-trained waiter.

“Before entering, would you sign here, please?”

“What’s this about?”

“Would you sign here, please?”

“…….”

“If you don’t sign, entry will be difficult.”

However, it seemed to lack sophisticated thought circuits, giving off a vibe like an NPC with insufficient artificial intelligence.

Siwoo accepted the ledger, remaining as vigilant as possible.

On what appeared to be parchment, the name Bianca Bellili was written in a bold, vigorous hand.

There were no other choices anyway.

The moment he took the pen and wrote the three characters for Shin Siwoo on the parchment.

—Whoom

A Wave of Magical Power enveloped his body.

This was similar to the wave he felt when making the Contract with Eloa.

That register itself was an Artifact.

An Artifact that enforces a specific Contract through mutual agreement, no doubt."Thank you. If you follow the carpet, Lady Bellili will be waiting for you."

"……"

"Have a pleasant time."

The hatch leading to the cargo hold opened.

Below, a red carpet stretched long along the corridor.

He proceeded through the dimly lit, narrow, winding corridor.

With each step feeling like a march toward death, a heavy sense of urgency pressed down with every breath.

After passing through two doors and turning a corner, a massive cargo hold capable of storing dozens of containers finally came into view.

The crisscrossing steel bulkheads and vast space reminded him of a giant jungle gym.

-Snap! Snap! Snap!

As soon as Siwoo stepped inside, LED lights used for stage illumination lit up in sequence.

The tiny bulbs wrapped around steel pillars and railings poured out colorful flames, while fireworks and flower petals rose from somewhere, accompanied by lively music.

The bleak, almost desolate place transformed in an instant into a carnival from a foreign land.

"¡Hola!"

Bianca Bellili appeared under the spotlight with a cheerful voice.

Holding the hem of her skirt, she danced lightly to the rhythm of the song.

"I sincerely welcome you to my party!"

Bianca smiled brightly, spreading her arms wide like a theater actress.

"……"

When Siwoo showed no reaction, she pouted her lips as if her excitement had faded.

"Is that it? I worked so hard to prepare this."

It didn't matter.

Whatever whims this deranged public enemy had.

Whatever was about to happen, none of it mattered.

There was only one thing to focus on now.

"Where's Takasho?"

The surroundings were exactly as he had seen inside the crystal sphere.

Even the dark bloodstains smeared right under the spotlight, at Bianca's feet, were proof enough.

"Straight to the point? How about dancing a song first?"

"Takasho comes first."

Bianca flicked her fingers as if her excitement had waned, and the boisterous music and the chaotic spewing of dry ice smoke ceased.

"I kept my time. I brought the Red Branch, and I came alone. I even played along with your tricks from the entrance. Release Takasho."

"You're that worried about your friend?"

Jade-colored eyes looked pityingly at the guest who couldn't fit into the party.

In stark contrast, the corners of her lips curled like melting rotten cheese.

"Don't worry so much. Takasho made me happy, after all."

Somehow.

Even before she spoke, a foreboding premonition crawled up his spine.

"As soon as I finished recording the video, I put about three holes in him and threw him into the sea. So you don't have to fret over whether he might still be alive."

"……"

He had actually expected it.

Bianca was different from Sochitl.

A completely different breed from Sochitl, who, in her regret, tried to rectify her mistakes in the wrong way.

A pure evil like Ea Sadalmelik, with no room for improvement or leniency.

"You're not as surprised as I thought? Then why did you come here? Did you perhaps take a liking to my face?"

Takasho was different from Siwoo.

He couldn't use Magic and wasn't Gehenna's first male witch.

A human with no value beyond being able to record a video to lure Siwoo out.

From a public enemy's perspective, a being with no rarity, akin to a talking ant.

That's why she had no intention of keeping her promise and killed him so easily.

"Honestly, I don't really want to fight. It's not the first time I've been like an egg hitting a rock. Every time I fight monsters like you, it's scary and painful. Maybe being treated as a slave would be better."

"Good for you. Then hand over your weapon and come along quietly. I'll treat you very well, whether as an Experimental Subject or a slave."

But not for Siwoo.

He was an incredibly precious friend who tried to protect their friendship even in the midst of that terrible agony.

He could feel the dam holding back the torrent of emotions breaking, and the flood pouring out.

Even if it was reckless.

Even if it was foolish.

Even if what lay ahead was death.

A blazing flame that refused to allow compromise.

"And yet, after killing my friend, you think you can take me away?"

The golden eye not covered by the eyepatch began absorbing magic power.

The overwhelming flow of magic power shaking the area like a storm coalesced into a single wind, soon becoming a tempest.

"Fine, bring it on."

A dense shadow rose and enveloped his body.

The armor forged with graceful curves settled into a murky ink-black hue.

The tip of the red spear, freed from control, glowed as if melting.

Between the helmet's slits, a pair of eyes burning with the rage of losing a close friend glared at the formidable enemy.

An opponent he could never hope to defeat.

"But you'll have to stake your life too."

"Ahahaha!"

As Bianca burst into laughter as if she'd heard a hilarious joke.

The dance of death began.

Author's Note (Author's Afterword)

Sharon's official illustration (ver-adult) is complete!

It was done by Godly Rice!

You can check it out in the work announcement.