"What are these fools saying?"
"Who knows? Maybe they're discussing how to please us."
The witches sneered coldly at the reactions of the shore security team, their crimson and black figures drawing ever closer to the land of Itogami Island.
To these witches, who had forged pacts with demons, the dense array of black gun barrels looked no more threatening than cute candy dispensers.
"You have ten seconds. This is your final warning. Dispel the magical barrier immediately and surrender," the security captain declared, setting down his phone after ending the call, his eyes now filled with reassurance.
As he spoke, the security officers swiftly flicked off their weapons' safeties.
"Pathetic."
"Dull."
The black witch and the crimson witch paid no heed, continuing their advance as the captain began his countdown.
The ten seconds vanished as quickly as the waves crashing upon the shore. The captain's hand chopped down, emotionless, his shout piercing the air.
"Fire!"
Azure sparks scattered in the darkness. Countless gunshots merged into one, a thunderous roar that shook the very earth.
A downpour of bullets raced toward the witches, only to be...intercepted entirely by massive tentacles erupting from the sea.
Translucent tentacles appeared out of thin air upon the ink-black water, writhing like serpents to shield the witches' forms.
It was as if a horrific sea monster had risen from the abyss.
Tentacles over a meter in diameter surged relentlessly from the depths, steadfastly blocking the specialized anti-demon rounds fired by the security team.
"Ten... tentacle play?"
"Extra five-kilometer run for you," the captain said coldly, his gaze fixed on the soldier who had spoken, before calmly issuing a new command into his headset. "Snipers, prepare."
"Useless, useless, useless! No bullet, no matter the caliber, can stop us!"
The crimson witch laughed loudly, spreading open the ancient, mysterious book tucked under her arm. It suddenly blazed with light, unleashing a torrent of immense magical power.
The tentacles' movements intensified violently. Their translucent bodies transformed into colossal whips, sweeping toward the security team in a storm of motion.
Yet, in the next instant, the seemingly unstoppable tentacles were severed clean in two by a single, gleaming golden bullet.
"That was... a curse-enchanted round!"
The crimson witch's eyes widened in shock. The dense magical barrier surrounding the tentacles instantly shattered into transparent fragments, dissolving into the night sky.
What the cursed bullet had pierced wasn't just the tentacle, but also her contemptuous disregard.
Curse-enchanted rounds were special ammunition that sealed vast magical power within precious metal casings. They could fire condensed mana capable of piercing through any magical barrier.
But using such ammunition came at a staggering cost.
The security captain silently bowed his head. That single shot—
So damn expensive.
The immense power of the curse-enchanted round was matched only by its extreme rarity and astronomically absurd price. Firing that one shot was equivalent to losing a pair of Mystic Eyes.
"...What the hell? Since when can Itogami Island's security afford curse rounds?" The crimson witch's face twisted as if she'd tasted something vile.
Her companion, the black witch, also produced a grimoire. A murky, ink-like magical energy instantly flooded the sea's surface.
Slick, translucent tentacles crawled from the mist, thoroughly concealing their figures.
If a curse round hit them directly, it would all be over.
"Octavia, kill everyone on the shore and let's go," the black witch commanded, her lips curling in a cold, spiteful sneer. Their plan was about to commence; they couldn't be held up outside the island.
"Understood, sister," the crimson witch replied, manipulating the tentacles to surge rapidly toward the shore.
The tentacles' massive bulk should have easily knocked the security team flying like bowling pins—if they hadn't been reduced to scattered chunks of meat.
"What?!"
The sisters' faces contorted in utter shock.
Shredded fragments of tentacle rained down from the sky. Through this falling carnage, Neco-Arcs flitted about as if it were nothing.
They're here!
At the sight of them, every member of the security team simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. The captain's eyes gleamed with triumph.
"The Fifth Primogenitor's familiars..."
"I have a bad feeling about this."
A terrifying sound of rending flesh echoed in the sisters' ears. The tentacles forming their protective shield were, in the blink of an eye, reduced to finely sliced sashimi.
A pure, silvery radiance cascaded over the sisters' faces, illuminating their stunned expressions.
Before them, a Neco-Arc tilted its head back, looking down its nose at them, its little fangs catching a faint glint of light.
"Impossible... Not even a vampire aristocrat could do something like this," the crimson witch gritted her teeth.
These were no simple familiars; they were her Guardians, her strongest combat assets as a witch.
To see her Guardians torn apart so effortlessly by the Neco-Arcs, like stray dogs on the roadside—this overwhelming injustice drove all reason from her mind.
"This is a joke!"
She fought to steady her fear-trembling arm and raised her grimoire high.
The power she'd paid such a painful price for—how could it be so weak?!
"Calm down!" the black witch shouted angrily, yanking her sister aside just as a Neco-Arc's claw swiped through the air they'd occupied.
The dodged Neco-Arc flailed its round little paws, its arms becoming a windmill of attacks as it continued its assault on the remaining tentacles.
An invincible barrage of blows, like a runaway train, swept across the sea surface, clearing away the tentacle cover and carving a deep scar into the water itself.
Waves churned up the tentacle debris, lapping gently at the shore. A Neco-Arc tending to the injured security team picked up a translucent tentacle piece, cocking its head curiously.
"We're retreating. Now," the black witch declared, already darting back toward the distance, her eyes frantically scanning for an escape route.
And then, a petite, dark-haired girl holding a parasol appeared in her line of sight.
"Minamiya... Natsuki?"
"Well, well, look who it is," Natsuki Minamiya said softly, opening her folding fan to cover a small, tired yawn. "The 'Meyer Sisters.' I suppose an ordinary security detail wouldn't be enough for you."
She extended an arm, gesturing lightly toward the black witch's ugly expression with the tip of her fan.
"It's been ten years since you last visited. How do you find the island's current security measures?"
A crisp, metallic sound of chains rang out with her words.
Chains blotted out the moonlight falling upon the earth. A dazzling golden light filled the witches' vision, and then...
...they found nothing but empty air.
"Spatial magic... Hah." Watching the spot where the sisters had vanished, Natsuki curled her lips in disdain. She twirled lightly in the air, as if dancing.
"Playing that game with me?"
Faint ripples suddenly disturbed the empty air, like the surface of a pond whose calm had been broken.
Natsuki Minamiya's form wavered like a mirage, fading gently into the void.
But the next instant, a sharp sound of shattering glass interrupted her movement.
A spatial tremor that swept across the entirety of Itogami Island made her narrow her eyes. She tapped the handle of her fan lightly with a finger.
The Meyer Sisters weren't particularly skilled in spatial magic. And this spatial fluctuation... it felt like it was searching for something.
It seems a new witch has appeared in the LCO.
"I see. Your target is the Prison Barrier," Natsuki murmured to herself, before reappearing beside the security team.
Then, a Neco-Arc diligently gathering tentacle scraps entered her field of view.
Remembering the ruckus caused by the cat-angel's last bout of indigestion, she sighed helplessly and gently knocked the tentacle bits from the Neco-Arc's embrace.
"You can't eat these."
--+--
"Come eat! It's getting cold!"
In the living room, Nagisa Akatsuki waved cheerfully at Yuuma, who was just emerging from the bathroom.
Yuuma's face broke into a familiar, lively grin as she hurried over.
"Coming!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.