The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch-Chapter 74 - I, Ciel, Your Judge (2/2)
Ciel, standing not far from Kitty, wasn’t surprised to see her drink the potion.
From reading the cultists’ spirituality journals in the previous simulation, she knew these transcendent cultists were instructed to leave as much information as possible for those who came after, especially in dire situations.
Even when Ciel had blown off half of Kitty’s face with a gunshot in the last simulation, Kitty had desperately tried to leave a message.
This proved that as long as Ciel offered information, Kitty wouldn’t readily seek death.
And reality confirmed Ciel’s guess.
Not only did Kitty not seek death, she drank the potion, enduring agony just to live a moment longer for information.
Unfortunately for Kitty, her information would never get out.
Because this was merely Ciel’s simulated future.
The reality Kitty hoped for was a fantasy she could never reach.
“Your plan was quite good. No one would suspect you hiding in Deton Manor outside the city. It allowed you to contact other transcendents without encountering the Church of the Savior Goddess.” Ciel squinted at Kitty, continuing, “Turning the already unstable Sherlon was the masterstroke. Who would have thought his weak virus could be so effective, or that a sealed artifact could be used to detonate it.”
“Even if investigated later, the Church of the Savior Goddess would have difficulty tracing it back to you. If Sherlon’s ritual succeeded, you’d baptize a third-tier transcendent into a cultist. If it failed, his madness would take all the blame.”
With every sentence Ciel spoke, the pain in Kitty’s chest seemed to intensify.
Recounting her entire plan aloud as “praise” was like slapping her face repeatedly.
But Kitty kept her head bowed, showing no further emotion.
So what if the initial plan was exposed?
Perhaps Sherlon was exposed early and tortured for information... That didn’t mean her plan was flawed.
Her plan was perfect; only the executor failed. The girl before her merely got lucky and learned about her plan... She couldn’t possibly know what Kitty was thinking.
Thump—
Suddenly, an empty potion vial dropped into Kitty’s line of sight, landing with a muffled thud on the carpet.
A potion? She drank the potion directly?
She’s clearly an “Avenger” from the Inquisition. The potion she just drank could only be “Judicator”... Judging me? With your strength?
No one can shake my faith in the Mother Goddess.
I am the Mother Goddess’s finest “Missionary,” having guided countless brothers and sisters with pure faith.
You want to judge me?
Then prepare to go mad yourself.
Kitty remained expressionless. She desperately wanted to look up but feared going insane from directly viewing something from that other world.
She didn’t fear death, nor the Mother Goddess’s whispers. She only worried about not leaving enough information before dying, buying time for the others to escape.
She wanted her death to be valuable—to the Divine Advent Church, to the Mother Goddess.
“You want to leave more information so your Bishop can investigate and kill me later, right?” Ciel’s hoarse voice came from above Kitty’s head, causing her faint breathing to hitch.
“You must be very confident in your arrangements right now, aren’t you?” Ciel’s breathing grew heavier. The unhealed burns on her hand reopened, staining the white bandages on her arm red again.
Waves of whispers from the potion crashed against Ciel’s sanity. The fire in her chest felt like a bomb about to detonate. The black shadow beside Ciel was already burning entirely, like the bomb’s fuse.
Even so, a smile remained on Ciel’s face. She continued unhurriedly:
“Are you trying to buy time for the other cultists to escape?”
“Aibai... that young man was quite clever. He said he was grateful to Sister Kitty for giving him a second chance at life, even though both his hands were severed, forcing him to gouge out his own eyes by hitting the corner of a table.”
“Marcello, a greasy middle-aged gambling addict. Who would have thought his spirituality journal was filled entirely with your name? Even in death, he begged the Mother Goddess to protect you.”
“...My favorite was the one named Georgine. Her journal was also filled with adoration for you... After all, it was something you wanted to see.”
“Do you know what she said before she died?”
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“She told me, ‘Thank you, Your Excellency Bishop, I can finally escape the nightmare’.”
“Who was that ‘nightmare’? Was it you, Kitty, indulging in power, fantasizing about others liking you?”
“By the way... your white shadow is still present. You can tell if I’m telling the truth or lies, right?”
As Ciel listed the names one by one, like reading from a menu, Kitty’s face grew uglier with each name.
When she finally heard the name “Georgine,” Kitty could no longer maintain her forced composure.
All dead?!
The foundation she had painstakingly built in Berren City for so long! All killed?!
Are you even from the Church of the Savior Goddess?!!
The white shadow beside Kitty flickered erratically. The immense mental shock made it nearly impossible for her to stay conscious.
“Don’t get agitated. Losing your head is normal. Just hold on a little longer.”
“Listen carefully to every word I say next.”
Ciel’s voice sounded again. The blood flowing from her wounds had gradually turned from dark red to black, pooling on the carpet like boiling tar.
“Guess who gave me these spirituality journals?” Ciel took a step forward, grinning. “It was you, Kitty.”
“You gave me my potion. You helped me complete my Reconstitution Ritual. You showed me those spirituality journals because you mistook me for a Bishop.”
“It was you who ruined everything.”
“Right now, you’re just dreaming, fantasizing that your subordinates can escape, fantasizing that the message can get out.”
“But you... half your face was already blown off by my shot, lying dying in the underground sanctuary...”
“You ruined everything. You brought shame upon the Mother Goddess.”
“Tell me, isn’t every word I speak the truth?”
Ciel staggered towards Kitty, grabbed her hair, and forced her head up bit by bit.
“Do you know why you’re going to die?” Ciel looked into Kitty’s vacant, unfocused eyes and said slowly:
“Because your plan... disturbed my normal life...”
“Remember this name. Ciel.”
“My name.”
“Your judge.”
Ciel released her grip. Kitty’s head slumped lifelessly. Her white shadow could no longer support her body, and she collapsed at Ciel’s feet.
And Ciel, slowly raising her right leg, stomped down with a savage grin.
Brains splattered.
Black flames erupted around Ciel, engulfing her completely.
