The sun rose and set, stars shone and faded. Who knew how long had passed? At last, the drawn-out fierce battle came to an end.
After a long rest, Anastasia, her clothes disheveled, her face flushed pale beneath the red, and exhaustion written all over her features, staggered to her feet while supporting herself against a tree trunk. With a few leaves stuck in her hair, her legs splayed outward and trembling, she looked back several times, seeming to want to speak but stopping herself. In the end, she ground out stiffly through clenched teeth, grief and indignation filling her voice.
"Beast..."
Then, beneath the faint moonlight, Witch, supported by Chloe, limped out of the dense forest. She soon quickened her pace and fled this place that had brought her so much suffering.
In the previous round, Witch had won by a narrow margin.
In this round, Witch had been utterly defeated.
And just as light once again triumphed over darkness, storms began to gather across the world.
Fuyuki City, Doll Mansion.
Touko Aozaki, seated quietly behind her desk, turned the last page of the grimoire in her hands. She looked up at the silver moon hanging beyond the window, then at the tightly shut door, and could not help frowning as she grumbled inwardly.
That guy had gone out fooling around with someone again!
The Crown Puppeteer turned her gaze and looked gloomily at the red-eyed, cold beauty kneeling quietly before the desk, with golden twin-tails and a neatly pressed suit.
"Forget it, Angelica. Looks like he won't be back tonight. Tonight's treatment is canceled..."
"Understood."
The cold beauty with golden hair and red eyes raised her hollow gaze from the teacup before her, lightly struck her chest with her right fist, and nodded mechanically.
Her exquisite features, icy