City of Witches Chapter 58

Seeing Siwoo show no reaction to her rare offer, Odil tilted her head in confusion.

Siwoo’s voice, filled with bewilderment, echoed through the room.

“Odil, are we the only ones here?”

“Here? Where?”

“In the Latifundium.”

“There’s no one else. I told you, we rented the whole place for the break.”

“Then what’s that black thing?”

A black entity staring intently into the management building from outside the window.

There was one reason Siwoo described it as a “black thing.”

Because he couldn’t accurately describe its appearance beyond that.

A shadow crouched as if clinging to a branch.

Around it, shadows fluttered.

It was no mere description or metaphor.

Literally, “shadows” covered its body like a heat haze.

“What?”

Odil slowly turned her head, following the direction of his gaze.

Simultaneously, the unidentified entity began to move.

Creak.

Its neck bent grotesquely, as if rusted at the joints.

The dark shadows scattered like mist, and only then could Siwoo make out its shape.

The head of a giant black cat.

A torso so massive it couldn’t be mistaken for an ordinary beast.

A tail, shivering from the cold, drooped heavily, tipped with a gigantic scythe.

“That is…”

Odil’s face hardened stiffly.

-Screeeech

Along with the chilling sound of nails scraping a chalkboard.

It opened its eyes.

From a head darker than the abyss,

more devoid of depth than flickering shadows.

Three red eyes, like flowers blooming in hell.

Grinning gleefully as they gazed this way.

Shadows began to coalesce around the unidentified monster.

The moment those shadows began to take on distinct three-dimensional form, Odil began to sing.

“cum sanctis tuis in aeternum! quia pius es!”

An extremely fast and precise song.

Even Odil, who usually hums and skips through most melodies, performed a complete Incantation this time.

Simultaneously.

-Screeeeeech!

The sound of a grinder grinding steel, accompanied by the clash of a black spear and a transparent membrane enveloping the entire management building.

A deafening roar.

Vibration.

A collision of magic power.

In that fleeting moment, Siwoo, who had been watching the monster, saw it.

Three spears woven from shadows flying toward the management building, and the transparent membrane unfurled from Odil colliding with them.

He couldn’t understand why this was suddenly happening.

The only certainty was that the monster outside the window had launched a magical attack, and Odil had countered it.

“That was fucking close!”

Odil’s coarse words.

Siwoo blinked and asked.

“Is that perhaps Master Gemernai?”

“As if that’s possible!”

A reasonable question, but Odil denied it as if exasperated.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like Gemernai had discovered and come to eliminate a ruffian teasing her Apprentice Witch.

Or perhaps “fortunately” wasn’t the right word.

“Then what is it?”

Before Odil could answer, another violent collision shook the room.

Unlike before, it wasn’t a roar but a vibration.

A deep, resonant tremor shaking the air in his lungs.

Another Spear of Shadow shot forth and struck Odil’s Barrier.

Odil glared outside with eyes shimmering with a purple reflection of magic power and said.

“It seems to be a Homunculus. I heard from Master that there were no Homunculi left in Gehenna…”

“You mean that’s a Homunculus of the Witch of Creation?”

“Isn’t it obvious just by looking!”

Siwoo felt the situation was more serious than he’d thought.

Homunculus.

Intelligent lifeforms said to have been created by the Witch of Creation.

“Guardians” made to protect her legacy.

They lie dormant, curled up somewhere in this world, or quietly wander.

Witches obsessed with Magic rush with eyes ablaze to hunt whenever a Homunculus is discovered.

Because killing a Homunculus yields fragments of the Witch of Creation’s legacy—Artifacts, research materials, elixirs, Magic Circles, and more.

To interpret it in a more modern sensibility, they could be considered a type of event mob.

The legacy of the Witch of Creation held value enough to elevate any Witch’s achievements.

“This is bad. Take care of Assistant Odette.”

Odil gazed with unwavering eyes at the successive Spears of Shadow flying from outside.

Her soft cheeks were hardened stiffly like never before.

But upon a little thought, the term “event mob” contained excessive optimism.

Homunculi were far too dangerous for that.

Homunculi were lifeforms personally crafted by the Witch of Creation.

Each wielded various forms of innate magic and fought desperately to protect the legacy embedded within them. Their danger level was more fittingly described as a raid mob.

After all, they proudly ranked second among “reasons Witches unexpectedly perish.”

Amidst this commotion, Siwoo hugged the still-stretched-out Odette and moved far from the window.

“What should we do?”

“I don’t know, I’m thinking… Can you wake Odette first?”

The severity of the situation was evident just from Odil’s face.

Her face, usually boldly laughing off most matters, was now as pale as a sheet of paper.

Witches who specialized in hunting Homunculi advised against attempting to hunt any Homunculus for Witches below Hierarchy 15.

So, what was the Twins’ Hierarchy?

“Odil, since you don’t have a Brand yet, an exact calculation is impossible, but roughly what level of Magic can you perform?”

Odil raised her eyebrows, seemingly surprised by Siwoo’s calmer-than-expected demeanor.

“Good that you’re not trembling. Using innate magic together with Odette, around Hierarchy 8.”

“I think requesting help from outside should be our priority.”

“I think so too.”

The minimum required Hierarchy: 15.

Combined, the two of them: Hierarchy 8.

Hopelessly insufficient.

It’s common for a Witch to invest her entire life without rising a single Hierarchy.

-Crash!

Siwoo peered intently outside the window.

Odil’s protective barrier enveloped the entire research building like a sphere.

And each time the spears shot by the Homunculus collided with the barrier and scattered, their field of view gradually narrowed.

Because shadows were staining the surroundings like paint spilled from a tube.

Thanks to that, the form of the Homunculus in the distance grew increasingly blurry.

The fact that only their side couldn’t discern the enemy’s movements accelerated their anxiety.

Another sound like a building collapsing echoed, followed by a flash of magical sparks outside the window.Siwoo stood up, startled by the sound of Odette diligently shaking his shoulder.

"Hic! Huh... Ah, what's going on?"

With a dazed expression, Odette looked around, and Siwoo briefly summarized the situation.

"Th-then what should we do?"

But Odette's reaction wasn't much different from Odil's.

From the start, it was unlikely that the Twins had any experience in magical combat, and even if they did, it would be impossible for the two of them combined at the 8th Hierarchy to hunt a Homunculus.

Right now was the time to flee and call for help from those around them.

"Odil-nim, how many more times can you block it?"

"It's weaker than I thought. Since it's attacking about 3–4 times per minute right now, I can hold out for about 10 minutes."

The only relief was that they had more time than expected.

"Odette-nim, is there any way to call for help from Gemernai-nim or other Witches?"

For instance, Siwoo had used a Magic called Skyboard at the inn last time to call for help from Sophia.

Odil and Odette likely knew far more efficient and better methods.

"There is... but it can't be used here. The 'Song of Rest' that my sister has cast blocks not only Magic from outside to inside but also Magic from inside."

"So, you mean we have to go outside?"

This research building is a bomb shelter.

Leaving this place would be comparable to the danger of leaving a bomb shelter during a bombardment to fire a signal flare.

"The music box! There's the music box! With this, we can at least hide for now."

Odette fumbled through her cloak and pulled out the music box.

At that moment.

-Screech! Screeeech!

"Ass...Assistant..."

Along with Odil's call, an unpleasant sound, as if tearing through the iron frame, echoed from outside the window.

Siwoo instinctively held his breath.

A giant cat shrouded in shadow was tearing apart Odil's Magic.

Its tail, curved like a sickle, was embedded in the transparent wall, roughly thrashing up and down.

"Kreek... Keek... Kik-kak...!"

The Homunculus flashed its three red eyes and opened its mouth.

From its distorted maw, sticky shadows dripped like tar.

Even Siwoo, who was seeing the Homunculus for the first time, could understand its emotions.

It was laughing.

As if delighted to have three new toys to play with.

"Odette!"

"Yeah! Sis!"

The Twins exchanged signals.

For the Twins, who knew each other's thoughts inside and out, detailed discussions were unnecessary.

As Odil withdrew her barrier, Odette stretched her arm toward the window and began her Incantation.

"Requiem aeternam dona eis!"

Grant them eternal rest.

Odette's Incantation was a Requiem dedicated to the enemy's grave.

-Kwaaang!

As per the verse of the Incantation, the pale glow extending from Odette's arm struck the face of the Homunculus clinging to the barrier in the blink of an eye.

A searing light that seemed to raise the room's temperature by 10 degrees just by briefly existing and vanishing.

The glass, merely grazed by the Magic, was glowing red-hot and melting like sugar.

""Impossible...!""

The Twins muttered Simultaneously.

Even with this much power...

They had expected it to inflict some damage since it was a direct hit to the face, but...

"Keeeek?"

The Homunculus, tilting its head, was completely unharmed, without a single wound.

A chilling cold that sent shivers down the spine.

"Dodge!"

Siwoo reflexively hugged the Twins and lowered his head.

With a difference of less than 0.2 seconds, something grazed past above their backs.

-Booong!

-Kwa-jijijijik!

It felt as if a small storm had swept through the room.

The Homunculus's tail, swung like a whip, had slashed horizontally through the interior of the research building.

Walls crumbling with a groan and furniture shattering.

In an instant, dust filled the air, obscuring their vision.

"Let's run... Let's run for now!"

What would have happened if they had stood still?

Turning his body while grabbing Odil and Odette by the nape of their necks, Siwoo couldn't help but shudder at the sight of the tragically shattered wooden pillar.

-Keeeeek!

A sound that felt taut, like loading a crossbow.

It was the grating noise that scraped at their nerves every time the monster threw a Spear of Shadow at the research building.

In any case, there was only one place to flee.

"Run!"

"Kyaaaah!"

Siwoo hugged the Twins and dove straight down from the dizzyingly high treehouse.

At the same time, with a bursting sound, two spears narrowly grazed past their backs.

-Thud!

The sight of the dozens-of-meters-tall ancient tree supporting the Latifundium collapsing like shattered Styrofoam replayed before their falling vision.

"Uwaaaaah!"

The Magic of levitation, not flight, was an extremely easy spell for the Twins.

Nevertheless, bungee jumping from 30 meters without a rope was terrifying.

Siwoo screamed at the wind fluttering his clothes and the ground rapidly approaching.

Unlike the Twins, who landed gracefully, Siwoo rolled roughly across the ground.

"Assistant! Are you okay?"

Odette rushed over, while Odil stared at the Homunculus remaining in the treehouse.

The giant cat, taking large strides, wagged its tail gently as it looked down.

The hunt had only just begun.

"Assistant, take Odette and run. I'll hold it off here."

Odil stood firmly on the ground, staring straight into the three red, flashing eyes.

Author's Note (Afterword)

You might not believe it, but the genre of this novel is

Magical Battle Rom-Com.