Chapter 1018: Witch Hunt: La Befana

Blood-colored lightning struck fiercely, its deafening sound shaking the entire area as the avatar began to feel the oppressive energy. His flesh finally started to crack under Souta's relentless assault.

"You even possess an Archetype? No, your Archetype is quite different. You've mixed it with your own. Gahaha, this is interesting!" The Purity's avatar laughed, fixating on Souta.

Ignoring his words, Souta raised both weapons and struck the avatar once more.

Boom!!

The cracks spidered across the avatar's body as the blood-colored lightning struck again. Gradually, his form collapsed, scattering the remaining energy in all directions.

Whoosh!!

"You're lucky this body was sliced by a demigod..." the avatar said, half of his face missing. Souta took a deep breath before thrusting [Rhongomiant] forward. The holy spear obliterated the avatar's head, and then he slashed through the body with his sword.

"Luck? Perhaps, but I anticipated something would emerge from the black sun, so I planned accordingly," he said.

The avatar's energy dispersed into the surroundings.

And just like that, the avatar of Purity was destroyed.

Boom!!

Souta exhaled and glanced at Alice. Releasing [Rhongomiant], it flew into her hand. He then descended to the ground.

Alice looked at Souta as she stowed away the spear. She then asked, "Is it finally over?" "Yeah," Souta nodded, turning to Eilish, who cradled her brother in her arms.

"Souta, thank you so much... I..." Eilish began, but Souta cut her off before she could finish.

"It's fine. I promised you before that I'd help. It's nothing," he said, waving his hand dismissively. He had simply done what he wanted to do.

Gradually, his form returned to normal, and exhaustion began to set in. Using [Douion] and [Emperor Armor] in combat without training had taken its toll on him.

Souta glanced at the system interface and narrowed his eyes.

[You've failed the Quest!]

[You've failed the Quest!]

The words appeared in red. It felt ominous, like something significant was about to happen. This was the first time he had gone against the Quest dictated by the system.

Taking a deep breath, Souta shook his head and gazed at the sky. "We need to get out of here. The Walpurgis Night has only a few minutes before it collapses completely, but before that..." Turning to Kayla's group, Souta narrowed his eyes and asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Kayla, Captain of the Third Night Squadron," Kayla introduced herself. "Not that. I mean your true identity," Souta replied in a cold tone.

"What do you mean, Souta?" Alice asked, casting a curious glance between Souta and Kayla. "It's simple. How can a witch of your power level survive a battle like this? Throughout the fight, I've only protected you and Eilish, yet you managed to come out unscathed," Souta said, pausing briefly before adding, "From the moment I first saw you, I knew you were in disguise."

He was right. The battle they just endured was on a different scale, yet Kayla emerged unscathed, clearly hiding her true strength.

The members of the Third Night Squadron were stunned by Souta's words. They turned their gaze to their leader, awaiting an explanation.

Kayla sighed and smirked. "I didn't expect you to see through my disguise."

With a swift motion, she ran her hand through her hair, and her appearance changed. Wrinkles appeared, and her hair turned gray.

The squadron members gasped in surprise at the transformation.

"Matriarch La Befana?!" they exclaimed.

The missing matriarch of the Walpurgis Night had been Kayla all along. Alice widened her eyes as she looked at La Befana.

"As I suspected," Souta remarked, observing her closely.

"You already suspected my identity?" La Befana raised an eyebrow.

"Anyone could deduce it from your strength. Among all the witches I've encountered, you're the only one who has reached the realm of a hero. Not even the elders have achieved this level. When I fought them previously, I heard them mention that I was as strong as the Supreme Elders," Souta said, moving forward.

"Supreme Elders, hmm? From what I've observed, you could likely defeat both Supreme Elders simultaneously if you used all your strength, including that peculiar energy," La Befana mused.

Souta stood facing her squarely. "What about you?"

"Hmm... That's a good question. If I were an ordinary hero, you might stand a chance against me. Unfortunately, I am the Matriarch of Walpurgis Night. The dream power I wield surpasses what you can handle with your current strength," La Befana replied, as wisps of smoke curled up from the ground.

Souta glanced to his side, thinking to himself, '[Dream Power V]... It's far beyond my current capabilities. If she only have [Dream Power III] then I could possibly manage her at my peak.' "Why did you allow this to happen to Walpurgis Night?" Souta pressed.

"It's not that I wanted this outcome. I simply couldn't intervene," La Befana explained.

"What do you mean?" Souta narrowed his eyes, seeking further explanation.

"Mordred. Every Matriarch succeeding Le Fay has been bound by his contract not to interfere. Knight Mordred betrayed the King and allowed this to happen," La Befana explained.

Souta nodded, though he wasn't entirely familiar with the details. From what he gathered, Walpurgis Night's downfall stemmed from betrayal, preventing the King of Knights from aiding Le Fay against the Commandments.

"Why didn't you simply step down from your position?" Souta inquired.

"It's not that simple. Finding a successor isn't easy. To become a Matriarch, a witch must undergo rigorous processes and rituals," La Befana replied.

"So what will you do now?"

"Nothing. I didn't plan to reveal myself until you confronted me. The era of glory for witches has passed; it's time for us to accept our diminished status. If we wish to regain prominence, we must adapt to a changing world," La Befana stated before turning away.

Souta watched La Befana's departure before glancing around. The other surviving witches seemed oblivious to their matriarch's presence. It appeared she had employed some form of concealment to evade their perception.

Meanwhile, in the Acropolis of Athens, Agape descended gracefully from the sky, his sword still in hand. The formidable aura that had surrounded him slowly dissipated, leaving a visible fissure in the fabric of dreams and reality above.

Athena, seated upon her throne, attentively surveyed the city, anticipating any potential disturbances caused by Agape's action. Cutting through the dream realm could affect sleeping citizens, and she was vigilant about maintaining order.

"So the Walpurgis Night is fading away... They couldn't restore the glory of their ancestors," Athena murmured thoughtfully. "Of the twelve knights, only Lancelot and Percival remain alive. The two managed to escape when Lamorak confronted Mordred. And then there's Merlin, the Great Mage, still hiding somewhere."

Athena closed her eyes, recalling the great battle hundreds of years ago. It had caught the other factions off guard with its suddenness.

"Hmm...?" Athena opened her eyes and furrowed her brow, her gaze piercing the rift between

dream and reality, sensing something ominous.

"This is...?" She stood abruptly, vanishing from her throne. The warriors guarding the room

only heard her voice command, "Send a message to the Champion's Den immediately. He has appeared, and I request permission to lift the ban on my Grid."

Whoosh!

Athena's urgent command echoed through the halls of the Acropolis. The warriors guarding her throne room swiftly relayed her message to the Champion's Den.

In the midst of the collapsing Walpurgis Night, time seemed to freeze as everyone's instincts screamed of impending danger.

Back in the tumultuous realm of the Walpurgis Night, Souta sensed a shift in the atmosphere. He glanced around, noticing the unease that gripped those around him.

La Befana paused, looking up in disbelief. "This can't be...?! He's here!" Her eyes widened,

and her lips trembled.

"Souta, I can't move..." Alice gasped, falling to her knees.

"Ugh!" Eilish collapsed, clutching her neck with both hands. Blood flowed from her nose,

eyes, and mouth.

Souta pressed his palm against his chest. His heart pounded wildly, and his instincts urged

him to flee.

Layla, the elders, and the other witches felt the same sensation. They recognized it-an oppressive aura, similar to when the black sun shattered, but thousands of times stronger this

time.

The lands surrounding the Walpurgis Night also sensed it. Some of these lands were larger than Walpurgis Night itself, home to Hero-ranks.

The land of the witches became visible as its barrier was shattered. Curious powerful beings who had been about to investigate Walpurgis Night suddenly halted.

An Eighth Shackle expert stared towards the land of the witches and murmured, "A powerful

being is approaching... This isn't good."

Ohm!

Above Walpurgis Night, space twisted and then opened wide. Smoke billowed out as a figure

emerged from the spatial fissure.

It was a man with long dark red hair and a pair of horns, resembling his avatar.

He hovered in the air, gazing down at the split Walpurgis Night.

The imposing aura around him left no doubt: he was the true body.

He was Sanaamon Agres, the Commandment of Purity.

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