Chapter 18B:

Lida, slightly injured and visibly shaken, steadied herself against the wall. Out of breath and shocked, she still clutched the topaz ring in her right hand.

Though the explosion had been smaller than I’d hoped, I knew it had served its purpose. Time was of the essence. Without hesitation, I seized the opportunity, closing the distance between us in a swift rush. I lunged at Lida with all the force I could muster, hoping to make her drop the topaz ring. But despite the collision, she stubbornly held onto it.

“Oh wow.” She said, regaining her senses, seemingly impressed by my resilience. “This was…this was better than anything I could have ever imagined! Good job, Luca! You have to tell me how you managed to pull this off.” Then, with a smirk, she commanded me to halt. “Now stop fighting.”

Just as it seemed like she had regained control, Sona charged at her out of nowhere, colliding with remarkable force. The impact slammed Lida against the wall for the second time, and this time, she finally lost her grip on the topaz ring, which fell from her hand.

As Sona collided with Lida, I felt the grip of her magic weaken over me. Without wasting a second, I lunged for the fallen topaz ring, grabbing it and slipping it onto my finger.

I channeled my mana through the ring, activating its magic, and focused on Lida. With concentrated effort, I created a small, silent barrier around her - an invisible sphere with a diameter of her shoulders' width.

Lida pushed Sona off her, unaware of the barrier I’d conjured. She continued to gesture and shout commands, but no sound escaped her lips within the muted space I had created with the topaz’s power.

The realization that her control over us had crumbled dawned on her face, replacing her confident demeanor with confusion.

Sona and I exchanged a quick glance. I was both relieved and grateful to see she had cast off the emotional weight of Lida’s earlier taunts, regaining her focus and strength. We both understood what we had to do: I had to maintain the silence barrier around Lida, while Sona fought to kill or disarm her of the pink quartz ring.

Sona moved in to attack, but Lida, sidestepped her approach with ease and swiftly closed in on me. It seemed she also understood what she had to do. If she managed to reach me and disrupt the topaz’s magic, she would regain her control over us, and her victory would be assured.

The tension heightened as she approached. However, in a surprising turn of events, Sona seized Lida by her long hair, forcefully pulling her backward. Lida seemed to be angry and cursing, but we couldn’t hear her under the silence barrier.

Sona pulled out her knife and raised it threateningly. But Lida just grinned at the challenge.

Sona stabbed and Lida expertly deflected the first strike aimed at her chest, redirecting Sona’s arm to the side. With a fluid movement, Lida twisted Sona’s wrist, forcing her to drop the knife. Sona barely had time to react before Lida spun, delivering a sharp kick to the side of her knee, staggering her. Lida followed up with a precise kick, sending the knife skidding across the room, far from our reach.

Then, Lida unleashed a relentless assault on Sona. Despite Sona’s remarkable skill in dodging and blocking, Lida’s precision and speed proved overwhelming, and Sona visibly struggled to keep up.

Meanwhile, I inched toward the knife, keeping my gaze on Lida to ensure the silence barrier around her remained intact.

Sona retaliated with her own strikes, trying to disrupt Lida’s flow, but Lida anticipated her movements, and effortlessly evaded her attacks. The battle unfolded in a heated exchange of punches and blocks, until Lida landed two powerful blows to Sona’s face. The impact left Sona momentarily dazed, giving Lida the chance she needed.

Seizing the opportunity, Lida accelerated toward me. My reflexes kicked in, and I dodged backward, unable to grab the knife but still maintaining my mental focus on her.

The room felt constricting, so I quickly escaped into the main room of the house. Lida, undeterred by my evasion, pursued me, likely cursing me with words I should be grateful I couldn’t hear.

As the distance between us narrowed and Lida was closing in, Sona intervened. Taking advantage of Lida’s focus on me, she grabbed her from behind, locking her into a choke hold.

Lida immediately struggled against the restraint, her hands clawing at Sona’s forearm, trying to create space between her neck and the choke. She twisted her body violently, attempting to pull Sona forward to throw her off balance, but Sona skilfully adjusted her stance, tightening her grip and shifting her weight to stay behind Lida.

Suddenly, Lida stopped resisting, and I saw her lips move, as if she was trying to give a command to Sona. At first, I thought it was another futile attempt, muted by my silence barrier. But then I realized, to my horror, that Lida exploited the imperfect barrier, taking a gamble that in their close proximity, it had encompassed Sona as well.

Her gamble had paid off. Sona’s grip faltered and released, and both women turned their focus toward me.

It was a disorienting sight – Sona, once an ally, now a puppet under Lida’s control.

Lida, recovering from Sona’s choke hold, whispered something in her ear, directing her toward me.

I dodged Sona’s attacks as she visibly struggled to regain control of her body, her eyes apologizing to me at each punch. They flickered with desperation, but Lida’s hold over her was too strong. All the while, I maintained my focus on silencing Lida, knowing that even a single lapse in concentration would mean my doom.

The stairs became my escape route, leading me upward to the same room that had held me captive for the past thirty-three days.

As I ascended the staircase, I knew I had to break Lida’s control over Sona before she rejoined the battle and they both overwhelmed me. My mind raced with strategies, and I decided to take the offensive. I swung at Sona while climbing backward, but I lost my footing and fell onto the stairs.

Reacting quickly, I rolled to the side, barely evading Sona’s stomp, then scrambled backward, still seated, using my hands to move faster up the stairs.

Meanwhile, Lida ascended behind Sona, slowly and arrogantly. She seemed to mock us, and I could almost imagine her taunts in my head.

I reached the top of the stairs, and the realization sank in - I had to attack Lida to break her hold over Sona. But I also knew that getting too close might leave me vulnerable to falling under her control as well.

With careful steps, I moved toward my old confinement. The countless escape attempts had familiarized me with every inch of the corridor, so I didn’t need my eyes to know where I was heading. Instead, I kept them locked on Sona, evading her attacks while maintaining my mental focus on silencing Lida.

To my surprise, Lida changed tactics. She moved closer to Sona, hugging her from behind. Though I couldn’t hear it, I could tell she whispered a command in her ear, as she handed Sona her knife.

I stepped inside the dark room, the dim light from the oil lamp the only light source inside, and Sona lunged at me the moment I entered. I managed to evade her initial assault, but she was relentless, swinging the knife at me. I dodged form one corner to the next, still keeping my mental focus on Lida

Meanwhile, Lida casually entered the room, leaning against the doorframe with a malicious grin. Though her words were silent – my topaz magic still holding – the widening smirk on her face told me she was taunting me.

Sona’s superior combat skills were becoming harder to counter, and I knew I couldn’t hold her off much longer. She would soon overpower me. I had no choice – I had to attack Lida now.

After evading another one of Sona’s lunges, I redirected my momentum toward Lida, closing the distance between us. I threw a punch, but she effortlessly dodged, seizing my outstretched hand in the process. With a sharp tug, she pulled me toward her, exploiting the imperfect silence barrier around us. For the first time since its activation, I could hear her voice. “Got you.”

But she hadn’t issued any commands straight up, so I used her moment of arrogance, her first and only real slip-up, and opted for an unconventional move. I headbutted her square in the face, catching her off guard, forcing her to release me as I broke free from her grasp.

A pained expression crossed Lida’s face, a trickle of blood dripping from her nose, but I remained oblivious to any verbal curses due to the topaz’s silencing effect.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Turning to Sona, who had been under Lida’s control just moments ago, relief washed over me as she seemed to regain herself, breaking free from Lida’s control. The tables had finally turned, and I knew I had to take advantage of the moment.

“Don’t get too close to her!” I shouted. “I can’t keep the area of silence perfectly on her.”

Sona nodded in acknowledgement and advanced on Lida, slashing at her with the knife. Lida, on the other hand, with her agile evasions, managed to dodge Sona’s strikes.

As the exchange intensified, Lida seized an opening and grabbed Sona’s outstretched arm, trying to pull her closer. But Sona, aware of the danger of falling to Lida’s control again, resorted to a fierce tactic. Swiftly, she bit down hard on Lida’s hand, her teeth sinking in with animalistic ferocity.

The unexpected move caught Lida off guard, and with a pained gasp, she released Sona and stumbled backward.

Lida’s shock and anger were palpable as blood trickled down her bitten hand. Her demeanor shifted, becoming deadly serious, and with a sudden rush, she lunged at Sona. Evading Sona’s incoming punch, Lida retaliated with a forceful blow to her side. The punch connected hard, and Sona seemed to be falling from the impact.

Capitalizing on her successful attack, Lida pushed past Sona and lunged at me, but in a quick-thinking move, Sona extended her leg while falling, successfully tripping Lida.

As Lida stumbled forward, I seized the opportunity and aimed a kick at her falling face. She managed to raise her arms just in time, blocking most of the impact. The unexpected combination of Sona’s trip and my kick left Lida momentarily disoriented, giving us a moment to recover.

Lida scrambled on all fours toward the corner of the room. Sona and I, feeling a surge of confidence, closed in for what we hoped would be the decisive strikes.

But Lida, even in her seemingly vulnerable position, wasn’t one to be underestimated. In a swift and unexpected move, she spun on the floor, launching a kick directly at the approaching Sona. The force sent Sona sprawling backward, and the knife slipped from her grasp, skidding across the floor.

Before I could react, Lida continued her attack. From her position on the floor, she propelled herself to her feet and followed up with a roundhouse kick aimed at me. Reacting quickly, I dodged the kick, falling to my knees to avoid the blow.

Dodging Lida’s roundhouse kick proved insufficient. She swiftly adjusted, her other leg swinging toward my throat. I barely managed to raise my arms in time, blocking the strike just enough to prevent a serious injury and – most importantly – not lose focus on maintaining the topaz’s magic.

I crumpled to the floor, the pain in my arms intensifying from the earlier block. Lida, sensing the advantage, pounced. She wrestled my outstretched arms, intent on reaching close enough to whisper a command in my ear. My strength was waning, and the situation grew more dire by the second.

In that desperate moment, as I struggled against Lida, Sona reappeared. With incredible speed, she delivered a powerful knee to Lida’s face, knocking her off me.

Lida’s fury became even more apparent after the strike. Even more blood dripped from her nose, her face contorted in rage, her expression infuriated.

She launched a furious assault on Sona, closing the distance between them. She skilfully avoided Sona’s punches and swiftly maneuvered behind her, locking her in a choke hold, attempting to regain control of her.

But recognizing the threat, I rushed in and delivered a well-aimed kick that forced Lida to release her grip on Sona and retreat to the corner of the room.

Lida’s eyes darted between me and Sona, her expression shifting as she realized her position was weakening. A surge of confidence washed over me – I was so close to victory. After everything she had put me through, the end was finally in sight.

To my surprise, Lida suddenly straightened up and flashed a smile. Despite her battered appearance, she seized the moment of our confusion. In a swift, acrobatic move, she leaped off the wall with her left foot, launching a kick at Sona with her right.

Sona, anticipating the attack, managed to block the initial strike, but Lida, relentless, followed up with her left foot to Sona’s face while still in mid-air, sending her staggering backward.

Lida landed on the floor, quickly regaining her composure. Without wasting a moment, she jumped to her feet and closed in on me.

I evaded her outstretched arms and lunged toward the knife on the floor.

On the floor, gripping the knife, I turned to face her just as she leaped at me. I aimed the blade where I anticipated her right hand would land. And as she came down on top of me, the knife sank deep into her hand, tearing through skin and flesh. But Lida, seemingly undeterred, fought through the pain.

Desperate, she tried to bring her face closer to mine, wanting to issue a command. But Sona, recovering from the earlier blow, intervened once more. She launched a powerful kick at our clashing hands, forcing the knife to cut through Lida’s fingers, severing two of them - including the one that bore the pink quartz ring.

With Lida’s severed finger laying on the floor, the source of our month-long torment cast aside, I released the topaz’s magic. For the second time since I had activated the topaz downstairs, I could hear Lida’s voice – no longer full of power, but reduced to cries of pain as she clutched her wounded hand.

I straightened up and watched as Sona kicked Lida’s severed fingers to the side of the room, advancing on her with murderous intent.

But suddenly, defying all expectations, Lida lunged Sona, and chaos erupted. She attacked with a viciousness that rivaled a wild beast. Sona, already weakened and caught by surprise, fell victim to Lida’s ferocity. Her screams pierced the air as Lida sank her teeth into her side, biting with incredible force. Sona collapsed backward, and Lida pounced on her, continuing her savage assault.

Reacting on instinct, I rushed to Sona’s aid, grabbing Lida by the neck from behind in an attempt to pull her away. But Lida, like a cornered animal, fought back, sinking her teeth into my arm. Pain shot through me, and for a moment, I nearly lost my grip. Despite the pain, I held on, slowly dragging her away from Sona.

Or so I thought.

Lida struck back, driving an elbow into my stomach, sending me stumbling backward. She turned her attention back to Sona, landing a barrage of punches with her bloodied hand. Sona barely managed to defend herself, arms outstretched to shield her face. Powered by desperation, she managed to kick Lida off her. The latter, determined to regain control, immediately scrambled toward her severed finger, attempting to retrieve the quartz ring. But as she was within reach, Sona, still prone, reached out and caught Lida’s leg, pulling her down and causing her to fall face-first onto the floor.

Meanwhile, recovering from the elbow strike, I lunged at Lida again, jumping onto her back in an attempt to pin her to the floor. But Lida retaliated with another elbow – this time striking my face and breaking my hold.

She continued crawling toward her severed finger, but before she could reach it, Sona leaped onto her back as well, forcefully holding her down.

As I regained my composure, the brutality of the situation became painfully clear. What had started as a fight had devolved into a savage brawl for survival. Technicality and strategy had given way to raw instincts, as all three of us – bloodied, bruised and desperate - fought like wounded animals.

The wounded witch cried out, lying on her back as Sona delivered a barrage of punches aimed at her face as Lida tried to defend herself.

Meanwhile, I rushed toward the severed finger with the ring, intent on removing it from the room. But Lida, through the pain and despite Sona’s relentless assault, left only one hand defending herself, and in a surprising move, grabbed my foot with the other, causing me to lose my balance and fall.

Then, through Sona’s punches, Lida managed to land a strike of her own. Her fist connected with Sona’s chin, disorienting her. With a powerful kick, she threw Sona off and lunged for her severed finger again.

But at that moment, I regained my composure and grabbed the knife lying next to me.

I stabbed Lida’s hand, driving the blade into the wooden floor and pinning her in place.

Lida let out a scream of pain, as I reached for her severed finger - the source of her control - and hurled it to the other side of the room, out of reach.

Pained and wounded, Lida reached her free hand toward the knife, trying desperately to pull it out of the floor. But in her weakened state, she couldn’t muster the strength. Instead, displaying an incredible will to survive, she did something even more brutal – she pulled her stabbed hand free from the knife, fully cutting it in the process. She cried out in agony, holding her bleeding hand, as she attempted to escape the room.

In a surprising burst of energy, I lunged forward, trying to grab her foot to stop her, but she managed to kick me off before swiftly exiting the room.

However, before she could get far, Sona rushed after her, pinning her against the corridor wall.

Despite the immense pain from the kick and the looming threat of unconsciousness, I pushed through, driven by the need to survive and save both myself and Ren. Limping toward the door, I watched as Sona held Lida against the wall, pressing her neck firmly against the wall.

“Say something about me and my brother one more time!” Sona shouted, her voice filled with pain and anger.

Lida managed to smile, a grotesque grin, before spitting blood into Sona’s eye. Momentarily blinded, Sona lost her grip, giving Lida the chance to deliver a punch to her stomach, followed by a headbutt.

Sona, off balance, stumbled backward, and Lida limped toward the stairs in an attempt to escape.

Despite my own pain, I wasn’t going to let her get away. Mustering the last of my strength, I grabbed her by the hair, yanking her backward. Lida screamed in pain as we both collapsed to the floor.

Straddling her now, I unleashed a barrage of punches, determined to make her pay for everything she had put me through. But Lida, showing inhuman resilience, managed to block my fists. Then, with a surge of strength, she threw me off her.

As I struggled to stand, I watched as Sona matched Lida resilience, attacking her again. The two exchanged sluggish punches and blocks, both of them clearly exhausted from the fight.

Lida, despite her heavily injured hand, continued weaving it in her punches, seemingly numb to the extreme pain she was feeling each time it met Sona.

Just when it seemed like there would be no clear winner, Sona managed to land a solid block, using the opportunity to counter with a punch aimed at Lida’s solar plexus. The strike hit perfectly, and Lida stumbled backward, gasping for air.

Seeing her stumble, I used my crouching position and leapt forward, sweeping beneath Lida’s feet. She tripped over me, losing her balance, and fell hard onto her back, the back of her head hitting the floor with a thud.

Lida lay there in silence, a battered and defeated figure.

I leaned against the wall to steady myself, Sona standing behind me, both of us bleeding and breathing heavily. Despite her apparent defeat, Lida suddenly laughed.

“You can’t stop her!” she shouted. “You’re nothing against her! But I am…I’m not weak and helpless anymore! I have power! I’ll stop you in her name!”

Slowly, she stood up, her grin twisting into an expression of pure rage.

“You’re nothing!” She repeated, her voice now filled with anger. “I struggled for so long and she…” Her voice trembled, as though she was on the verge of tears, but it quickly shifted back to fury. “I’ll kill you in her name!”

It was a storm of emotions I couldn’t quite comprehend. Just as she appeared ready to charge at us, Sona, summoning her last ounces of strength, acted. With a surprising burst of energy, she pushed me aside and raced toward Lida. She leaped, delivering a powerful kick with both feet to Lida’s chest.

The force sent Lida flying backward, crashing through the second-floor window behind her. The sound of shattered glass echoed through the corridor as Sona landed on the floor, exhausted.

We both stared at the broken window and the evening outside, realizing that Lida’s control over us was finally over.