The Terrifying Witch

Smack!

In a dim room, a massive shadow slammed its hand on the table, knocking loose a little dust.

"Are you absolutely sure? Was it her?"

The huge figure asked the others around the table in a gruff voice.

"I know you're in a hurry, but don't be so hasty."

One of the people at the table replied leisurely.

"Judging from the traces of magical power left at the scene, it was indeed her."

With that confirmation, everyone in the room fell silent.

"Lilith of [Wishing]."

In the oppressive silence, someone muttered under their breath, a trace of apprehension flashing through their eyes.

"Why did she suddenly show herself at a time like this?"

"No idea. Maybe she thinks the time is right."

Everyone shook their heads. No one present could answer his question.

After discussing it for half the day, they could only conclude that they should wait and see.

Cough, cough.

At that moment, a familiar figure cleared his throat, drawing everyone's thoughts back.

"Let's put this matter aside for now. We have another topic to discuss."

After he spoke, everyone at the table turned to look at him.

The massive figure shouted at him, "Moba, one of yours died, didn't they? You're just letting it go? Why don't you dare pick a fight with her?"

The person being questioned stiffened at once and shot him a contemptuous glance. "If you want to get yourself killed, don't drag me into it."

"In one month, this year's New Star Competition for Magical Girls will begin. Many talented new stars will rise to prominence then."

At that, Moba looked around the room, raised one finger toward the ceiling, and slowly said to everyone:

"This time, we're going to make a huge move."

"What if Lilith interferes?"

"...Then we'll count ourselves unlucky."

The Abyss Nest was an evil organization that opposed Magical Girls. It consisted of monsters, witches, and some ordinary people.

They lurked in every corner of Cloud City year-round, causing no small amount of destruction throughout the city.

It could be said that they were behind the overwhelming majority of it.

"So it's the kind of evil organization you often see in Magical Girl shows. I get it."

Listening to Rabi's introduction to the Abyss Nest, Zhou Mo waved dismissively as if it were only natural.

Ever since learning that Magical Girls existed, he had guessed that similar evil organizations would appear as well.

"More importantly, what exactly are witches like?"

He asked that question.

Monsters were ordinary people transformed after coming into contact with the Abyss. So witches, who were Magical Girls already possessing immense power before being corrupted by the Abyss, had to be terrifying.

Zhou Mo could already picture a witch descending upon the world, the entire city collapsing into chaos, and millions of ordinary people being displaced.

At the word "witch," Rabi's usually placid gaze sharpened.

"Witches, fully known as Abyss witches, are fallen Magical Girls. Once a Magical Girl becomes a witch, she no longer upholds the principles in her heart. Her pure heart is completely replaced by the Heart of the Abyss. Her body and mind become utterly twisted, turning her into a terrifying being willing to do anything for more followers."

"Staging accidents, smearing others, spreading rumors, venting online. So long as it makes her famous, a witch will do anything. She can even livestream herself biting a lighter without hesitation."

"What?"

Zhou Mo apparently failed to follow what Rabi was saying and slowly produced a question mark.

"In short, there are many wildly popular witches online. They have had no small negative impact on the internet and even society."

Rabi did not explain further. Instead, he motioned for Zhou Mo to take out his phone and search for the names of a few witches.

Zhou Mo immediately looked up information about witches. After finding several of them on a short-video platform, a baffled expression instantly appeared on his face.

"The witches you mean are this kind?"

"That's right."

Rabi sat crouched on the chair and nodded as if it were perfectly natural.

Zhou Mo blinked and looked back at his phone.

A video from an account with millions of followers was playing on the screen.

[Account name: Witch, Your Tiger Sis]

[Followers: 1.68 million]

In the video, a beautiful and provocatively dressed woman with an impressive bust ranted at the screen.

"I'm [bleep] here! Magical Girl Aivi, you're a [bleep]! I'm insulting you right here in XX Plaza, and I'll be waiting for you! Come on! I'll show you what your witch big sis can do. I'm definitely going to slap you across the face!"

"..."

"This?"

Zhou Mo was deeply shaken. He pointed at the phone screen, then turned to Rabi. He asked nothing, yet somehow asked everything.

In response, Rabi wore an unprecedentedly serious expression and explained:

"This is a witch, a being ten thousand times more terrifying than a monster!"

"Could you please tell me what's terrifying about that?"

Zhou Mo looked at the species called witches on the screen and could not see anything terrifying about them at all.

But Rabi refuted him like this: "Look, a witch spends all day posting this kind of negative video online, yet so many followers support her. The harmful influence on teenagers is immeasurable.

"More importantly, witches have left our Zohar, yet they compete with the Magical Girl idols under Zohar for followers. Isn't that terrifying? Witches are awful!"

"I see."

After listening to Rabi's explanation, Zhou Mo nodded solemnly, then said expressionlessly, "It sounds like they have absolutely no destructive power."

"You don't understand. The followers of witches, the fans attracted to and brainwashed by them, cause no less destruction than monsters."

Rabi closed his eyes and spoke slowly. "Doxxing, online harassment, stirring up conflict. Many Magical Girls targeted by them have suffered terribly. There have even been top-tier Magical Girls with millions of followers who could not bear the attacks of the masses and took their own lives."

Gasp.

Hearing Rabi's words, Zhou Mo sucked in a cold breath.

He had thought monsters were already terrifying enough. He had not expected there to be something even worse, something that could so easily destroy a Magical Girl's body and mind.

So Rabi earnestly told Zhou Mo, "Before you grow strong, you absolutely must not be targeted by a witch. Otherwise, you'll face endless trouble."

Zhou Mo swallowed and asked, "Is there no way to counter them?"

"There is."

"What is it?"

"Deal with her offline. Physically eliminate the witch, and the problem is solved."

"..."

Without continuing to bicker with Rabi, Zhou Mo turned on his computer and began her first indoor livestream.

She first transformed, then waited for the stream to begin. Once some fans had entered the livestream room, Zhou Mo turned on the camera.

A silver-haired girl in a blue-and-white dress appeared before everyone in the livestream.

[First day of streaming: Magical Girl Molis's Q&A self-introduction!]

That was the theme of this stream, intended to help her fans get to know Molis better.

"Your name?"

"Magical Girl Molis."

"Your age?"

"Sixteen."

"Your gender?"

"...Female."

"Your height?"

"1.56 meters."

"Your opening greeting?"

"Ciallo~(∠・ω＜ )⌒★"