Chapter 37: The Witch

A pristine white viper slithered into the living room, a snow-white pentagram array manifesting beneath its belly.

The figure stood in a lolita dress that accentuated her slender frame. Her silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her ink-black eyes held a faint air of cold detachment and fatigue. She exuded an aura of nobility; the hem of her black-ribboned skirt hung slightly, edged with intricate black lace. Her face was devoid of makeup.

Her icy expression shattered the moment she saw Iris, replaced by a flicker of irritation. "Your Abyss organization lacks integrity."

"How do you figure? Wasn't it you who said if they couldn't be rescued, we should destroy the evidence?" Iris replied languidly.

The corner of the woman in the white dress twitched. The other party’s ability to tell tall tales with a straight face was improving daily. Yet, remembering that this woman was her benefactor, she forced a polite smile, though her words were laced with gritted-teeth resentment. "The ones escorting them were nothing more than bug-like special agents; how could you fail to rescue them?"

"Fifty thousand," Iris said, tilting her head.

The woman in the white dress was amused by the nonchalance of the remark. "You think you can dismiss us with fifty thousand? These four Apostles took us months to train."

Iris snorted coldly. Months of training only to lose to a little girl? She couldn't be bothered to argue. "Five hundred thousand."

The woman in the white dress felt a surge of temptation. After all, there was no shortage of street thugs; she could find more with a wave of her hand. But these four Apostles had remained relatively loyal over the years.

"We poured a fortune into them. They’ve endured the trials of the Abyss Inscription."

Iris added calmly, "Five million."

The woman in the white dress fell silent. The other party’s sheer extravagance had completely shattered her psychological defenses.

"Besides that, we need those special agents. If they’re dead, their corpses will do."

"Aren't you at odds with the Security Bureau? What do you want with their bodies?"

Iris narrowed her eyes and smiled. "That is not for you to worry about. We have our own uses."

Fortunately, Iris didn't care to dwell on the topic. "How did the matter we entrusted to you last time go?"

Relieved by the change of subject, the woman in the white dress relaxed her tense expression and nodded. "The task you commissioned is complete. When shall we hand over the goods?"

Having obtained the information she wanted, Iris felt reassured and shook her head calmly. "No rush. Wait a little longer."

The woman in the white dress thought of her organization's shabby state, her gaze drifting. "But..."

Iris looked at the dark circles under the woman’s eyes—clearly not the result of makeup—and found it somewhat amusing. "One hundred Meteor Abyss Stones, ten Eclipse Abyss Stones, and one Sun-Fall Abyss Stone per day. Enough with the 'buts.' When we first started working together, you were always going on about 'I' and 'you ants,' dripping with arrogance. How is it that today you’ve suddenly become 'normal'?"

The woman in the white dress looked pained. "The Evil Organization has grown too large; if I kept playing the role of a chuunibyou, I wouldn't be able to survive."

Iris paused, then chuckled. "What, seeing the Abyss make moves, you Witches are planning to get a piece of the action?"

"If the Abyss takes the lion's share, it wouldn't be unreasonable for us to have some of the broth, would it?"

"But aren't you human, too?"

"Isn't human history just one long record of war?"

On this subject, the woman in the white dress seemed completely indifferent.

"Heh, you Witches truly are despicable creatures."

Iris’s words held a hint of disdain, but the woman in the white dress didn't care at all. Instead, she asked with some confusion, "Do you know a short, flat-chested girl carrying a scythe? I recall one of your Phantom Witches uses a scythe as a weapon."

The topic shifted so quickly that Iris struggled to keep up. "What color was her hair?"

"Pale purple." The woman in the white dress recalled the features described by her sister.

"Rest assured, she isn't one of ours. The Phantom Witch 'Illusion Butterfly' has long, deep-purple hair and a curvaceous figure. Your sister likely encountered a patrol mage. You lot had better keep your heads down lately."

Iris mused for a moment, then let out a light, melodic laugh.

The woman in the white dress nodded. Magical armaments were strange and varied; having one or two that looked similar was normal. Still, she offered a warning: "If you encounter her, you'd best dispose of her. She isn't just our enemy—she's yours, too. Magical Girls and Abyss Calamity Beasts have always been mortal enemies."

Iris lifted her black tea, touching it to her lips. This time, her gaze was much colder, though her voice remained flippant and alluring. "I know what I'm doing."

The tea had a fruity aroma, a smooth texture, and a sweet taste—it was one of her favorite drinks. After a long while, the woman remained in her seat, showing no intention of leaving.

Iris asked, puzzled, "Is there anything else?"

"Nothing else, but you haven't paid me yet!"

With that, the woman in the white dress looked at Iris with wide, expectant eyes.

"The password is the same as before. There are five million inside."

A jet-black bank card with gold patterns was tossed onto the tea table.

Iris, having thrown the card, picked up her teacup without even blinking, looking every bit the extravagant magnate.

"Miss Iris is so generous. May your Abyss business prosper and flourish."

The woman in the white dress accepted the black card, reeling off one blessing after another.

"If you're done, get out!"

"You got it."

The woman in the white dress arrived quickly and left just as fast.

Iris stood up, her gaze drifting downward to the arcade on the second floor. Two beautiful young girls were seated in front of the vintage gaming machines, the noisy clatter of buttons particularly piercing. As time passed, the crowd surrounding them grew.

On one hand, it was a love for this childhood game; on the other, both girls were not only beautiful but also highly skilled, locked in a fierce, back-and-forth battle.

After playing several rounds, the look on Illusion Butterfly's face was no longer as cold as it had been at the start; her gaze toward Xia Qing held a hint of a smile.

"How about it? One more?"

"No more, little Butterfly, you're amazing." Xia Qing leaned in, looking at Illusion Butterfly with adoration.

It was no joke. In her previous life, she had practically lived in arcades; her ability to play an entire afternoon on a single coin was no exaggeration.

"We've played, we've walked the convention—let's exchange contact info! Let's hang out again next time."

Xia Qing’s small hand once again skillfully took the girl’s, while her other hand held up the WeChat QR code on her phone.

Illusion Butterfly: "..."

*Damn it, I've been had. Are girls these days all this good at picking up chicks?!*

After scanning the QR code with extreme reluctance, Illusion Butterfly looked with resentment at the tardy Iris.

"How was it, Butterfly? Did you have fun with these two?"

"..."

Illusion Butterfly watched the two girls depart and remained silent for a moment before nodding. "It was alright."

Aside from being flirted with by that Magical Girl a few times, she had actually enjoyed herself. The variety of anime characters had been dazzling.

"Glad you had fun. Let's go shopping; I'll buy you some pretty dresses."

"No need, I have plenty at home." Illusion Butterfly said this through gritted teeth.

Every time they met, Iris insisted on buying her dresses. Although she had passed most of them on to her younger sister, some simply didn't fit her sister, who was rather "poor" in the chest area and couldn't fill them out. It would be a waste to throw them away; they were far too expensive.

"Those dresses are from when you were younger. You're growing now; it's time for new ones." Iris’s gaze lingered on a certain part of Illusion Butterfly’s anatomy, her meaning clear.

"I'll go shopping with you, but for no more than an hour." Illusion Butterfly tried to bargain; shopping with women was torture.

"No, it has to be two hours." Iris shook her head, holding up two fingers.

"Why?" Illusion Butterfly was confused.

"You spent two hours trying on clothes when you went shopping with your sister yesterday!" Iris looked at the darkening sky and replied casually.

"You were spying on me?" Illusion Butterfly's face darkened, her hands clenching into fists in anger.

"No, I own that clothing store." Iris shook her head again and pulled up the security footage on her phone, placing it in front of Illusion Butterfly.

"Acting all cute and clinging, are we? I’m not going with you next time." Illusion Butterfly sighed, her expression complex.

"It doesn't matter. I own shares in most of the clothing chains around here." Iris chuckled, playing her trump card.

*Fine, you're rich, you win!*