Chapter 280: Interlude (2)

1.

Whenever Mexico was mentioned, there were some things that would come to people's minds...

Drugs, gangs, sketchy securities, slums...

Those were pretty much it.

Just like in most Latin American countries, Mexico had its fair share of corrupt politicians and cartels who had more say in the country than the government did.

Those cartels had established their own empires within the drug smuggling industry, with them importing drugs that were produced in Columbia, Venezuela and various other countries.

They ruled with fear, executing rival gangs, politicians, journalists, and even the military and police officers if they ever got in their way.

If an ordinary person dared to criticize them, they wouldn't be spared at all—they'd be mercilessly killed and have their bodies dumped on the streets.

Take Ciudad Juárez, a border city with the US, for example. Thanks to the drug war, 10,000 people were killed every single year, with the rate of murders happening to 200 out of 100,000 people. This was the reason why the city was deemed as the most dangerous place in terms of safety and contributed to the 'Mexico is dangerous' mindset that was etched in people's minds.

However, if one were to move beyond those border cities, known for their cartel and drug wars, like the southern megacity known as Mexico City, things would change quite a bit.

Mexico City was the city where the federal government and all the embassies were located. Even those cartels would think twice about causing trouble there, so it was a pretty safe place.

This was especially the case in the city's heart, Polanco, where one could find a mix of European-style architecture and statues from the 16th century amidst the tall skyscrapers. The place looked so prosperous that if one held to their belief that Mexico was a dangerous place, they'd think that they had wandered off into a different country somehow.

In the center of the city, there was a grand building that not even the worst smog could touch.

Hotel St. Regis Mexico City, the place where you could see the beautiful night sky and cluster of stars from its rooftop. In this place, a group of witches were holding a meeting.

There were only four witches here.

Well, calling it a meeting wasn't quite correct, as they were all here by personal invitations. This number of witches simply paled in comparison to back in the day, when this Criminal Exile's group, 'Qlipoth' was in its prime.

Then again, considering that a lot of their members lost their lives during the invasion of Gehenna in 1883, it was simply an unavoidable situation.

"It's been a while since we've all gathered like this, right? When was the last time we did this? Twenty years ago?"

Of course not everyone who had been invited had arrived, but the Witch of Desire, Bianca Belleli, declared that enough time had passed as she twirled a strand of her hair and let out a laugh.

Her lustrous silver hair flowed gracefully over her shoulders, her emerald-colored eyes retained their radiance even under the dim lighting.

"So, why are you sitting at the head of the table again?"

A witch spouted that question at her in a sharp voice, but Bianca answered her in a calm tone.

"Well, you came to my city and I'm the hostess here. Isn't it natural for me to sit here, or do you have another idea in mind, 'Claire Asmodeus'?"

"Whatever. Either you sit somewhere else or bring out something better for me to drink. Why are you bringing this cheap shit out anyway?"

Except for Claire, who voiced her displeasure sharply and openly, nobody else did.

Bianca was someone who had brought together both the big cartels and the small ones in Mexico, turning them into one powerful force.

Considering how her throne was built on mountains of drugs and dead bodies, it was hard for other witches to argue with her.

The reason why Claire was fuming at her was only because they hated each other.

Well, actually, it was more like she just couldn't stand Bianca.

She owned a drug production plant in Colombia, but thanks to Bianca's greed when she distributed her drug to North America, Claire ended up losing a lot of money, so it was hard for her to see the witch in a favorable light.

Even to witches, money was important, since their magic research cost money.

"Picking a fight right after meeting each other? Little one, you're always full of energy, hm~?"

The witch in a nun's habit, sitting comfortably, said so with a light giggle.

Despite her robe hanging somewhat loosely, it still couldn't conceal her voluptuous figure.

"Shut up, you cow-tits."

"Why are you being so harsh? Who do you think supplied your weapons for your little wars, hm?"

Just like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Claire immediately started a quarrel.

It was clear that there wasn't a harmonious atmosphere going around them.

But, this was normal for them.

Because the witches gathered here were the infamous Criminal Exiles from 'Qlipoth', the grand witches known for their prowess and magic.

They were the worst of the worst, those who formed their own factions to go against Duchess Keter and Duchess Tiphereth.

But, that was the extent of their relationship. They were forced to cooperate due to the circumstances, but fundamentally, they were hostile to each other.

Considering that even the Witch of Aquarius, who used to be a member of Qlipoth, was immediately stripped of all her power and influence as soon as the news of her death was heard, it was only natural that they were wary of each other.

"I'm curious. Why are we holding this meeting all of a sudden?"

A calm and collected voice cut through the tense air.

This time, a witch with jet-black hair, looking like it was drawn with a brush, spoke.

Her cold gray eyes clearly expressed that she had no wish to entertain anyone's nonsense, even for a second.

"Isn't it obvious already? Everyone has been watching and keeping an eye on the recent incident, no?"

"I'm so fucking sick of your cryptic bullshit."

Claire complained about Bianca again, but everyone else ignored her and advanced the conversation instead.

"Is this about the Cowardly Witch?"

"Yes."

The Cowardly Witch herself had no ties to Qlipoth.

Unlike the four people who had gathered here, she roamed around on her own without any allegiance. Her goals were also completely different from other witches.

That was why they never felt the need to cooperate or negotiate with her, let alone to mediate about the conflicts or disputes she caused.

Yet, they still kept an eye on her, solely because she made an excellent guinea pig.

"She caused a disaster that killed thousands in one of the world's biggest cities, conducted a risky magic experiment right in the heart of the city, which was bound to cause major casualties...but Keter didn't lift a finger, not even once."

"It's just like what the Witch of Whispers said."

"Well, the Oracles leaked that information, so it was already credible from the start."

"I hate that cunning bitch."

The witches here, despite their significant power and influence, preferred to keep a low profile and work behind the scenes instead of staying in the limelight.

Why would they prefer that exactly? Well, the reason was pretty self-explanatory.

Because the presence of Duchess Keter whom all witches, including them, revered.

"From the Cowardly Witch's situation, you could see that the prophecy wasn't off at all. Keter isn't being unresponsive, she just 'can't' move."

"But, it's still risky to make a move just like that~ Lilith has lied and backtracked multiple times~"

"Yes, but she had also spoken the truth occasionally. We have to admit that she had provided various assistance to Qliphoth as a whole. It still isn't enough reason to trust her, though."

"Are you guys crazy? You all know what kind of crazy bitch she is! Are you really going to believe her words now?"

Claire let out a mocking laugh, as if finding the situation absurd.

But, if one were to ignore her mocking tone, her words actually made sense.

They all knew that Lilith wasn't a witch who could be trusted.

She was the Witch of Whispers, the witch who'd sow chaos and confusion everywhere she went. No one even had a hint what her real motives were.

In fact, no one knew what her witch's name was.

One thing for sure was that one shouldn't even consider her as a business partner.

"If you invited me here just to tell me to listen to that bitch's words, I'm gonna leave. It isn't even worth hearing. Fucking pathetic."

"I share the sentiment here~ But I'm curious to see what's gonna happen~"

"Alright, calm down. I'll explain."

Just as the atmosphere became more and more tense with Claire suddenly threatening to leave, Bianca clapped her hands to get their attention.

Now that everyone was focused on her, she calmly expressed her thoughts.

"Aren't you all tired of living in constant fear of Keter? Honestly, by now it's getting old. Back in the day, we had no rules, no such thing as Criminal Exiles or whatnot. We witches could do whatever we wanted for the sake of our magic advancement. Are we really going to keep living in fear even though the one who imprisoned us and took away our freedom is just sitting idly?"

"You're just repeating what was already said. Also, I still don't buy this 'prophecy' nonsense."

"I know, one example isn't enough for you, is it? That's why I called you all here."

Then, she started to share the outline of her plan.

"Since you still don't trust the Witch of Whispers, I'll volunteer myself as the second guinea pig, replacing the Cowardly Witch. I'll be the one to cross the scary bridge that everyone is so afraid of."

"Sounds good to me. I hope you got screwed."

Despite Claire's response that was filled with hostility, she remained seated, clearly showing her interest.

"I'm going to prove that the prophecy is real once again."

"Mhm~ No one wants to drink the Holy Grail that might be poisoned, after all~"

"Well, since I'm the one who's going to take that risk, I want you guys to ensure that I'll get some benefits here."

There it is.

It won't be Bianca if she isn't scheming like this.

For her to volunteer to become their guinea pig to see if Duchess Keter was really out of the picture was simply an inconceivable thing for the rest of the witches here. They had suspected that she wanted to extort them in some way or another in exchange.

After all, everyone gathered here had some link to her underground dealings, whether directly or not, that was why they knew her personality to some extent.

"As long as you show me a little bit of your sincerity, I'll do my best to give you convincing results."

"..."

It really didn't take them long to catch on what she was planning to do. As soon as they did, everyone started calculating the pros and cons in their heads.

For these Criminal Exiles, Duchess Keter was like a giant landmine under their feet.

At the moment, they were tiptoeing around, cautiously navigating their way so that they wouldn't accidentally set the landmine off. But, at the same time they were practically shackled inside this field, unable to get out even if they wanted to.

The prophecy from the 'Oracles' that the Witch of Whispers relayed wasn't something to brush off lightly.

This organization had a perfect track record of predicting the future for over a thousand of years.

Even though they couldn't trust Lilith even a little, there was a possibility that she was telling the truth this time.

If that was the case, that meant they could finally do all the magic research and shady dealings they were unable to do before without worrying about anything.

And there was someone here who volunteered herself to risk her life to see if the prophecy was real or not.

While the price tag was hefty, the offer was tempting enough, so it was really hard to refuse it.

"Alright, I'm in~"

"Me too."

"If you die, I'm going to take over all your toys."

"Now, don't get ahead of yourself."

In the end, they all agreed to her plan.

If more witches were around, she could get more profit off this dealing, but she was already satisfied enough with this result.

After that, things just flowed smoothly.

She didn't demand for anything much and considering the danger, she even agreed to delay half the payment until she was done with the experiment.

In fact, the negotiation went a little too smoothly, leaving the other three witches confused.

"Alright, since this isn't exactly a friendly catch-up session, why don't we call it a day?"

"Sure, I'm sick of hearing your annoying voice anyway."

"..."

"Oh, cmon, don't be like that~ Haven't we been buds for ages~?"

"Alright, catch you later."

-Clap!

With a loud clap from Bianca, their arguing stopped.

The lights on the previously dimly lit hotel were immediately turned on, showing a completely different scene at the conference table.

"Ugg...grr...!"

The three witches who had been occupying the table—the loud one, the quiet one and the laid back one—were all gone.

In their place were three dying humans with their mouths foaming and eyes bleeding.

This was a mental dissolution spell performed using a proxy.

Except for Bianca, the other witches weren't in Mexico City. They had all been attending the meeting by using magic.

Of course the humans that were used as their proxies couldn't withstand the immense knowledge and mana of a witch with their frail body.

They ended up becoming unfortunate sacrifices, soon to meet their end due to their brains getting mushed up from the ritual, but that wasn't a major concern for anyone.

"Haah...!"

Suddenly, Bianca let out a hot sigh.

The reason for this was there was someone crawling between her skirt, licking her sensitive parts throughout the meeting. This place was a blind spot for the other witches that were sitting at the table, that was why they hadn't noticed this person.

"Phew... I almost cummed back then... Alright, it's done. Come out."

A figure hesitantly crawled out from between her wide-open legs.

With her short fair fell below her shoulders, she looked pitiful, like a wilting flower.

She had ruby-like eyeballs, no, rather, the color of her eyes closely matched that of blood. There was fear in those eyes as she stared at Belleli's face.

Her face could be considered flawless even by a witch's standard, but it was covered in sticky love juice and saliva, making her look disgustingly vulgar.

"Your skills have improved lately. Well done, Ea."

"..."

She was the pet that Bianca had recently acquired, the witch whom everyone thought to be dead.

Ea Sadalmelik.

The infamous Witch of Aquarius.