Bayonetta stood where she was and waited for a moment.
Sure enough, before long, the golden figure that had pierced through the Four Virtues Angel surged up from beneath the cliff amid the roar of engines and clouds of steam. On his way up, he casually destroyed the Angels' small living battleship, dozens of meters long. The Witch from the past temporarily put aside the attack on their stronghold and watched with interest as her daughter adjusted her expression to greet her lover. But Bayonetta was not only waiting for the Arcanist; a large group of Witches followed close behind him. They hurried along the comet-like trail he had carved through the sky, their faces filled with panic. Yet when they saw the Witch beside Bayonetta, they could not help slowing down, seemingly unsure whether they should step forward to greet her.
Aside from some younger Witches who carelessly called out greetings—such as the one who had previously demanded that Salomon remove his helmet—the other Witches who knew of the taboos of the past regarded her with suspicion.
"Should I praise your charm, darling? You managed to attract so many women in such a short time!" Bayonetta planted her hands on her hips and irritably nudged her glasses with the muzzle of her gun. Even as the Arcanist in heavy Power Armor descended from the sky and crashed down before her, she still held her chin high with a proud expression. "Shouldn't you explain exactly what your relationship is with your traveling companions?"
"I merely ran into them while pursuing my target. They promised to take me to the battlefield, and I assumed the target would be there." Salomon did not make himself too clear, since there were others present. He turned and saw two pairs of identical gray eyes.