Sanctuary.
After Roswaal cast his magic and turned this region into a frozen wasteland of ice and snow, vast numbers of witchbeasts—driven mad by hunger—had already surrounded the area.
The first wave of the witchbeasts' assault charged straight toward the area where the villagers were gathered, as if acting on pure instinct to relieve their gnawing hunger.
The Shadowkhan, fearless in the face of death, clashed head-on with the hunger-crazed horde. The moment the two forces collided, a brutal battle erupted. Neither side gave ground, and casualties were heavy on both ends.
Fortunately, the Shadowkhan were created from Shendu's magic power. They were her most effective expendable troops.
After Shendu ordered Ryuzu to escort everyone into the Sanctuary, she and Emilia braved the raging blizzard and rushed over as well.
"Thank goodness the Sanctuary is protecting us. Otherwise, the villagers would be in real danger."
Seeing the situation before her, Emilia could not help but speak in surprise.
"Lady Shendu, how should we resolve this?"
Rem was equally tense. Although as a member of the oni race she possessed a strong fighting spirit, facing one of the Three Great Witchbeasts alone was still pushing it.
Rem felt uneasy. Emilia was just as worried. The girls all turned their gazes toward Shendu, silently awaiting her answer.
"Leave it to me and Betty. I've already informed her."
Shendu smiled faintly and lightly tapped the ground beneath her foot.
In an instant, a purple magic circle surged into existence. Sensing the summoning, Beatrice hurriedly leapt into the magic circle.
Crack!
A streak of purple lightning tore across the sky. A golden twin-tailed spirit girl in a red dress appeared before them.
The summoned Beatrice plummeted rapidly, using her magic power to block the blizzard before slowly descending in front of Shendu.
"Beatrice, you arrived just in time!"
Shendu pulled Beatrice into her arms and pinched her soft cheek.
"Wah... Big Sister, I finally found you."
Seeing Shendu before her, Beatrice was so overjoyed that tears welled up in her eyes. She hugged her tightly, showing no intention of letting go.
"Rem! Let's use magic to temporarily seal this area in ice and block the blizzard from harming the villagers."
Seeing that Shendu and Beatrice were preparing to resolve the crisis together, Emilia naturally had no intention of standing idle. She planned to handle the surrounding trouble with Rem.
"Yes, Lady Emilia."
After receiving Emilia's instruction, Rem nodded. The two of them began casting magic together, sealing the ruins with massive ice pillars and erecting a defensive line. The surrounding blizzard could no longer blow through.
After finishing their preparations, Emilia and Rem stepped back to watch the battle from a distance, refraining from interfering.
"Beatrice, it's your first time fighting alongside me. Are you ready?"
"I've been ready for a long time! Big Sister, I've been waiting to fight by your side."
Beatrice smiled sweetly, prompting Shendu to step forward and pinch her adorable cheek again.
If the timing weren't so inappropriate, Shendu would have continued teasing the little spirit.
"Then let's make this game even more exciting."
Shendu snapped her fingers. Instantly, the Shadowkhan ninjas dissolved into black mist and merged back into her shadow.
In the next moment, without the ninjas blocking their path, the Great Rabbit lunged forward viciously. Their numbers were so dense they resembled a surging white tide.
Unlike their outwardly cute appearance, these Great Rabbits were filled with madness and boundless greed, intent on devouring everything here.
When they were still more than ten meters away, Shendu and Beatrice raised their hands simultaneously, each unleashing their own magic.
"Eru Mia!"
"Blazing Inferno!"
A purple light arrow and an orange-red fireball shot toward the distant witchbeast horde.
The Great Rabbits struck by Beatrice's magic died instantly, their bodies crystallizing before shattering into fragments under the cold wind.
As for Shendu's fireball, the moment it struck the horde, it transformed into a sweeping wave of flames. Everything in its path was reduced to ashes. The ice and snow melted into scorching steam.
Shendu's magic was overwhelmingly destructive, honed purely for power. Wherever it passed, not even remnants remained.
Even the ground was scorched red. Facing the frigid snow, it could not immediately cool down.
After maintaining steady output for a time, Beatrice suddenly stopped and began analyzing the situation.
"Big Sister, the Great Rabbit's nature is to seek out sources of magic and endlessly consume them. I think we can use the magic on our bodies to lure them all over."
Beatrice continued thoughtfully.
"Step one: once they gather, create a barrier-like isolation zone nearby. Step two: use an extremely destructive spell—or banish them into another dimension. Then we can win this battle."
"Understood. As you wish. We'll do it that way."
Shendu nodded calmly, agreeing to the plan.
Having decided, the two of them stood in place and released massive amounts of magic power. The Great Rabbits, sensing the surge of mana, grew even more frenzied.
"As a witchbeast that multiplies infinitely, Big Sister, we absolutely cannot let even one escape."
Beatrice's tone was firm. To eliminate a creature that could regenerate endlessly, they had to eradicate it completely.
"Don't worry. I'll act as bait. You prepare the spatial barrier. I'll buy you time. As the pinnacle of Yin magic, set up a spatial boundary around us."
After speaking, Shendu scooped Beatrice into her arms and charged straight into the witchbeast horde, allowing the seemingly snow-white and adorable creatures to rush toward her.
But just as they approached, Shendu willed it—hurricane-like wind blades, blazing fireballs, roaring lightning, razor-sharp ice spikes, and countless magic bullets bombarded the horde as if they cost nothing.
With her power alone, a sea of flames erupted around her. Sensing the intensity of her magic, the surrounding Great Rabbits all shifted their focus toward her.
They attempted to devour this terrifying existence and use her power to further proliferate their swarm. The idea was good—but the gap in strength was far too great.
Simply approaching her resulted in instant annihilation under the relentless magical bombardment. Shendu moved swiftly along the outer perimeter of the horde. Every step triggered astonishing explosions. Wherever she passed, the Great Rabbits were utterly eradicated.
Cradled in her arms, Beatrice's lips curved into a faint smile.
Though her eyes were closed as she gathered magic power, she could still clearly sense everything around her. She could feel the Great Rabbits gradually being wiped out.
Each time they passed along the edge, a solid ice wall sealed off the area behind them. Shendu ran in a circular path, compressing the Great Rabbits into an increasingly confined space.
In the distance, watching Shendu and Beatrice fight with full force, Emilia and Rem exchanged a glance. In the end, Rem spoke first.
"Let's act as well, Lady Emilia. We cannot let a single witchbeast escape."
Determination flashed in Rem's eyes. She had already made up her mind.
"Alright. I don't want to just stand here watching either."
The two smiled at each other and rushed into the blizzard, casting magic from afar. One ice wall after another rose, completely sealing off the area.
Sensing Emilia and Rem's efforts, Shendu's lips curved into a satisfied smile.
As expected, her side was filled with godlike teammates—none of the useless kind. Everything was proceeding smoothly.
Seeing this, Shendu understood that the final act of this event was about to unfold.
Drawn by the immense magic radiating from Shendu, the surrounding Great Rabbits lunged toward her without pause. The irritating sound of their teeth grinding echoed endlessly in her ears.
Some even attempted to flank her from other directions, yet the moment they drew near, they were crushed into fragments by her magic power.
The Great Rabbits following behind devoured those remains and continued charging straight at her. As time passed second by second, the surrounding ice walls were finally completed.
"Beatrice, how is your spell coming along?"
With Emilia and Rem's cooperation, the ice walls had been fully erected, trapping all the Great Rabbits inside.
Through her perception, Shendu confirmed that not a single one had slipped through. Satisfied, she lowered her gaze toward Beatrice in her arms.
"Almost done, Sister Shendu. I need you to mark the surrounding area. Only then can I bring the spatial rift down precisely within that zone."
Considering the overwhelming power of spatial forces, Beatrice did not dare to be careless. She feared accidentally injuring their companions.
Hearing her words, Shendu raised her hand. Threads of purple magic spread outward like a massive net, covering the entire area.
The imprisoned witchbeast horde seemed to sense the approaching danger. They struggled desperately, but it was futile.
Like turtles caught in a jar—no matter how they thrashed, they could not escape.
The Great Rabbits were now in exactly that situation. Sealed within the ice walls, they had nowhere to flee. At the same time, drawn by Shendu's vast magic power, they continued to throw themselves at her.
Standing amidst the swarm, Shendu casually cast spells to eliminate them. After years of unchecked growth, the Great Rabbit's numbers had long surpassed one million.
Of course, relying solely on the Shadowkhan or employing some tactics, Shendu could have slowly exterminated one of the Three Great Witchbeasts.
But that would be boring. With the girls fighting beside her, she almost felt like a hot-blooded protagonist.
"El Shamak!"
Just as Shendu's thoughts wandered, Beatrice completed her spell.
With the incantation spoken, four spatial walls descended, sealing off the surroundings. A temporary extradimensional space formed, isolating the area completely.
"Whew! Big Sister, it's complete. You can choose to cast them into another dimension—or use a grand spell to annihilate them all."
Now that the spatial walls were in place, Beatrice finally relaxed and looked expectantly at Shendu.
"Well done, Beatrice. Next, I'll destroy their collective consciousness. We should still claim the achievement of eliminating the Great Rabbit."
After speaking, Shendu set Beatrice down and gently rubbed her small head.
Then she stood still and activated the power of the Sheep Talisman, her soul separating from her body. A golden dragon soul rose into the air.
Beatrice instantly became a curious onlooker, eager to see what her Big Sister intended to do.
To her surprise, after transforming into her dragon-soul form, golden spiritual energy condensed into countless thin beams of light and shot rapidly into the Great Rabbits.
Wherever the beams struck, the witchbeasts seemed to lose their souls entirely. Their bodies froze, devoid even of instinct.
Each time Shendu attacked, hundreds of thousands of Great Rabbits were eradicated, their souls completely destroyed.
Though their bodies were innumerable, they shared a single collective consciousness. As the dispersed fragments were gradually wiped out, only one final Great Rabbit remained.
It attempted to flee, but when it reached the spatial barrier, no matter how it bit and clawed, it could not break through.
"Heh... how unfortunate. Your mission ends here."
Holding a blade forged of soul energy, Shendu thrust it downward, pinning the final Great Rabbit to the ground. With its soul destroyed, its body collapsed lifelessly.
After finishing, she snapped her fingers lightly. A purple magic circle appeared, and the remaining bodies were drawn one by one into her magical storage space.
Beatrice, meanwhile, dispelled the extremely taxing Yin magic.
Returning to her physical body, Shendu casually drew the Amaterasu Sword and swung it with force. A wave of sword pressure surged skyward.
The thick clouds blanketing the sky were cleaved apart. The previously dim heavens brightened once more as sunlight poured down upon the earth.
"Heehee, Big Sister actually destroyed every single one of their souls. Those witchbeasts are truly finished."
Beatrice let out a relieved breath, clearly delighted.
"You did well too. Your support was crucial."
Shendu stroked Beatrice's head, smiling warmly.
"Well then, shouldn't you say something to your greatest contributor?"
Beatrice huffed and turned her head aside, puffing out her cheeks as she waited for praise.
Watching her quietly, Shendu understood exactly what she wanted. A playful smile appeared on her lips as she came up with a better idea.
"Haha, you're right. I should reward you."
Beatrice's eyes shone with anticipation. She perked up her ears, ready to receive her Big Sister's praise.
Instead, Shendu suddenly slipped her hands beneath Beatrice's arms and lifted her up.
"Ah—!"
Startled by the sudden move, Beatrice cried out.
Shendu held her high in the air and spun her around once, lavishing her with praise without restraint.
"Well done, Beatrice. As expected of my contracted spirit. You were amazing—I'm very satisfied."
"Our Beatrice is the cutest of all."
Shendu coaxed her gently, smiling all the while.
"Wait, Big Sister! That's not the kind of reward I wanted!"
Beatrice protested loudly, though it had little effect. Shendu happily held her and lifted her high once more.
In the distance, Emilia watched the scene with tender emotion. Seeing the crisis resolved so perfectly filled her with joy.
"Lady Emilia, it's finally over."
Rem looked at the sight before her and let out a breath of relief. She had always trusted her master completely.
"Yes. After everything we've done, it has finally reached its end."
Emilia spoke with feeling. She had expected a fierce and difficult battle, yet everything had proceeded so smoothly.
The assistance Shendu provided exceeded expectations. With the second of the Three Great Witchbeasts eliminated, Emilia felt far lighter at heart.
Inside the Sanctuary, Garfiel and Ryuzu—who had mostly been bystanders—stepped out and saw Shendu and Beatrice playing around.
They also noticed the traces of battle left at the entrance. Both could not help but feel a little deflated.
"Grandma... I really didn't get to do much in this fight."
Garfiel looked particularly helpless. He had wanted to help, but there had been no opportunity.
Even if he transformed into his tiger form, he likely would have been torn apart by that overwhelming horde. Charging in would have done no good.
"Don't worry, Garf. Just follow them from now on. There will no longer be a Sanctuary. From this day forward, we are residents of Lady Emilia's territory."
At this moment, Ryuzu had completely shifted her stance, choosing to align herself with Shendu's side.
On their side, the greatest casualty had only been Roswaal's death. Though Ryuzu felt complicated about it, she did not believe Shendu had acted wrongly.
Perhaps entrusting certain matters to her was not such a bad choice.
With the crisis resolved, the residents of the Sanctuary looked up at the brilliant sun and erupted into cheers, celebrating the perfect conclusion of the ordeal.
After all, to escape safely from the jaws of one of the legendary Three Great Witchbeasts was more than enough reason to rejoice.
Their reverence for Shendu and Emilia deepened all the more.
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