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-Warning! Body under significant stress from combat mode + Mana Cannon overuse! Recovery period will be extended if shutdown is delayed-

-Predicted hibernation period if shutdown is delayed : 1 week-

-Continue?- -(Yes)- -(No)-

Crud. One full week for fighting my hibernation mode? That would be horrible. But I couldn’t deny that my body had already stressed itself beyond belief. I didn’t even know this much power was in me.

Now wasn’t the time to go to sleep though. I had to stay up and protect the others any way I could.

I chose yes.

Accepting the command, my body went into a state of shock. My sight started to blur and muscles twitched uncomfortably. A wave of nausea overcame me. Pain sprung up in every corner of my body.

If only I could close my eyes…NO! Stay awake!

The smoke was starting to clear up. Both Indena and Melpomene were on the ground.

Indena was looking very sick. Her skin was swelling up and she couldn’t move. She’d finally reached her limit.

The witch didn’t seem to have any trouble getting back to her feet though.

Without Indena, our offense was crippled. My combat mode shut down to prevent any more stress on my body, so I couldn’t do much but fumble around like a useless ragdoll.

Marek might have had that burst of herculean strength, but he was out cold too.

And Yamin wasn’t a fighter.

All I could do was throw myself over Yamin and spread my wings out to cover her. She was still mine to protect, like any human would be.

But the witch wasn't detoured by my barrier, simply picking me up and tossing me aside like discarded trash.

“What a fight you put up in vain, Little One.” Melpomene dragged Yamin to a tree and sat her at its base. “But she must die.”

A purple glowing dagger materialized in her hand. It was sharp and had bubbles fizzing out the blade.

“That's not fair!” I screamed with the last of my strength. “She hasn't done anything wrong, you big meanie!”

Melpomene let out a loud gasp, forging eye contact with Yamin.

“It's not what she has done, but what she will Do. Her trickery may not be obvious, but believe me, she will betray you!”

Yamin hasn’t shown a hint of evil in her. I would have noticed by now because she tries her hardest to avoid fighting with people at all.

So far, Yamin’s just been hated for existing. Indena didn’t like her when they first met, and now Melpomene wanted to kill her.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Why is Yamin persecuted so much?

The witch used the tip of the blade to cut open the upper buttons of Yamin’s shirt and draw a magic pentagram at the top of her chest, then she prepared to stab right through her heart.

But she hesitated.

She stood there, shaking, nearly dropping the dagger a few times.

Yamin was well awake at this point, clearly cringing with fear at the thought of being stabbed by a witch. But the longer Melpomene hesitated, the more she was urged to speak up.

“If you want to kill me, then do it,” Yamin said, fighting her desire to cry and keeping a strong expression. “But please, tell me why. Tell me what sort of evil I’m supposed to cause the world so I can thank you for taking it out.”

Melpomene was stunned that Yamin would submit so easily. It took her a minute to gather the words to respond with.

Her hat lowered, shamefully covering her face.

“I act on the will of the spirits. Consider me their blade. I must abide by their orders, even if I don’t see the truth.”

It sounded like she was saying that she didn’t know why they wanted Yamin gone either. At least, not completely. Come to think of it, a lot of the things she warned me about were pretty vague.

Yamin spoke up next. “When they said there was a great evil around, you went after it. No questions asked,” she concluded.

“I don’t question them because they have never been wrong. When they told me that an evil woman had spawned in my territory, I didn’t have someone like you in mind.”

The description she’d given was quite the opposite of Yamin. I pictured some Medusa looking old hag or something. Not a nice older sister type of girl.

“What about me stands out then?” Yamin questioned. “You picked me out pretty quickly when you first saw me.”

“‘They’ picked you out as my target. I was simply following my orders. Truth be told, I don’t understand everything they see...”

Even if those spirits were right, and Yamin was hiding something evil in her, there’s still a lot of things here we didn’t know.

“You don't want to do this, then.” Yamin realized.

“After the fight you all have put up trying to prove your innocence, can I truly take my first life so easily?”

Melpomene took a few sniffs close to Yamin, then grimaced.

“But, this darkness…it is deep within you. Buried far below a gilded surface of light…” Melpomene’s head lifted to reveal a sliver of her glowing violet eyes. “Even if neither of us can see it, mark my words that it is there.”

She reeled the dagger back, still showing every intention to see this through.

Yamin turned to me, a look of fear, but also a hint of anticipation on her face. Was she waiting for me to do something?

Wait, I know what’s going on here. Yamin was stalling!

BANG!

A bullet ripped through the air, bursting on the ground between Melpomene and Yamin.

Water splashed out, but the witch swiftly evaded even the tiniest drop.

I tracked where the bullet had been shot out, and a blurry figure hooded in a black cloak hovered over me.

“Blessed be the day, for this is a time to rejoice!” his mildly kooky voice sang. “Mine eyes gaze upon the beauty of an angel! Oh, at last! A miracle hath been given from on high!”

Was he talking about me? I had my wings out, so I couldn’t blame him for thinking I was an angel, much like everyone else.

"Woe to the poor sister caught in the grasp of a witch! Prepare thyself, for thou shall meet the judgment of our Lord! So be it!"

He wasn’t alone. Other cloaked figures reinforced him. All of them chanted "So be it" after his own declaration.

Their numbers were enough to pressure Melpomene. It looked like she was backing away, ready to fight...maybe flee…? I couldn’t tell anymore.

Everything was just a bunch of glowing blurs in my sight.

All I knew was Yamin was no longer about to be stabbed. What happened next was of no priority to me.

My auditory and ocular receptors fully failed. Everything went black.

The last thing I felt were very delicate hands lifting me up, cradling me as my systems shut down completely.

God, please let everyone survive when I wake up…