His flesh melted into black sludge, clinging tightly to Lilith's arm. As she struggled to break free, Lorwenkai appeared beside her in a flash of golden light.
Clang!
A gleaming blade of light materialized in Lorwenkai's hand, severing Lilith's arm in a single stroke. Before the sludge could spread further, he caught her in his arms and flung the blade toward Haviel, simultaneously raising two fingers.
The radiant blade struck Haviel, pinning him back inside the holy coffin as new golden panels snapped into place, sealing him once more.
Boom!
A deafening explosion rippled through the estate, a shockwave so powerful it leveled half the manor. The destructive force would have killed everyone present if not for the invisible barrier of holy light Lorwenkai had conjured, containing the blast within a limited radius. Even so, the impact sent people sprawling to the ground, coughing and disoriented.
"Are you alright?" Lorwenkai asked, cradling Lilith in his arms. Her usually confident expression crumpled into something soft, vulnerable.
"It hurts a little," she mumbled, her lips trembling slightly.
Lorwenkai sighed and rubbed her head, his fingers gentle against her silver hair. "I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you later."
"Promise?" Lilith’s pout transformed into a mischievous grin. Her severed arm began to regenerate, black mist swirling as her body stitched itself back together. "You said it! No take-backs!"
Lorwenkai’s expression softened, though his tone quickly turned serious. "Did you manage to extract any useful information?"
Lilith floated out of his arms, brushing off the dirt on her dress. "The time was too short… but!" Her ruby-red eyes sparkled with triumph as she leaned forward, planting a quick kiss on Lorwenkai’s cheek. "I’m Lilith, after all. I always deliver!"
In that moment, fragmented memories and images flooded Lorwenkai’s mind like a cascade of broken glass. His breath hitched as the truth pieced itself together.
"This… so that’s how it is?" His voice was low, venomous, filled with disgust. His gaze shifted toward Haviel's smoldering remains, and he spat on the ground in contempt. "The Tower of Truth… those bastards deserve to be wiped off the face of this world!"
The pieces Lilith shared painted a horrifying picture. The "Witch Project" was a depraved, systematic atrocity. These deranged lunatics from the Tower of Truth had resorted to forbidden alchemy to tamper with the souls of young girls.
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The process was insidious: these cursed girls were fated to give birth only to daughters. During pregnancy, the mother’s soul would gradually wither, its energy transferring to the unborn child, along with the accursed alchemical toxins woven into their very existence. The moment a mother gave birth, her soul would completely disintegrate.
Through generations of this horrific cycle, the Tower aimed to cultivate an individual with soul energy so immense, so unworldly, that she could be wielded as an unstoppable weapon. A witch, born from countless lives consumed by pain and despair.
"If they succeeded," Lorwenkai murmured, his fists clenched tightly, "the entire world would’ve become their pasture. Humanity reduced to livestock, harvested for their twisted ambitions. Monsters… every last one of them."
Though Lilith's information was limited, it was enough to identify that there were originally seven experimental bloodlines. Vera, he realized, was part of one of these bloodlines. Worse still, hers had nearly reached "maturity."
The witches’ powers, however, were not yet fully awakened. To ensure their creations didn’t become uncontrollable, the Tower had designed safeguards. Without completing the "Witch's Feast," the latent soul energy within them could not be fully activated.
"Unbelievable…" Lorwenkai muttered, his expression grim. "If those madmen had been allowed to continue growing in secret, this entire world could’ve been theirs by now."
Turning his gaze toward Vera, his eyes sharpened with resolution. "Looks like I’ll have to keep you under close watch."
"Wait, what?" Vera blinked, confused by his sudden declaration. "What’s that supposed to mean—"
Her words were cut short by the sound of thunderous hooves in the distance. Her face went pale. "No… it can’t be. It’s the Inquisition’s Black Knights!"
The sound of their approach grew louder, the earth trembling beneath the rhythmic pounding of hooves. The air turned cold, sharp, oppressive.
Vera grabbed Lorwenkai's arm, her voice frantic. "You have to leave! Now! If the Black Knights are coming, they’re here to capture you. You—"
Lorwenkai’s brow furrowed slightly. "And why exactly should I run?"
Outside the estate, the approaching Black Knights exuded a suffocating aura. Their black armor reflected the dim light of dusk, every plate scarred by battle, marked with bloodstains long since dried. Each step of their massive warhorses reverberated through the ground, as if the very earth quaked beneath the weight of their presence.
The leader rode a monstrous steed, jet black save for the crimson flames flickering in its eyes. With each step, its hooves left behind faint trails of black smoke, as if drawing the life from the soil itself. The knight’s helmet obscured his face, revealing only a pair of eyes cold and unforgiving, like the abyss staring back.
Their spears gleamed with faint, menacing runes, the dried blood upon their tips swaying gently in the cold wind. The silence of the procession was deafening, the air around them thick with a palpable sense of dread.
When they halted in front of the estate, it felt as if the world itself had paused, holding its breath.
"The Inquisition’s Black Knights," someone in the distance whispered, their voice trembling with fear. "They’re here."
As they came to a standstill before Lorwenkai, the oppressive silence grew heavier. It was as though the very presence of these knights had severed the estate from the living world, casting it into a domain of shadows and judgment.