Maybe she shouldn't have called him a dumbass, but a fool. Who gives and endures so much without asking for anything in return?
She didn’t want to believe such people existed, but the person before her... did.
Pure white flames ignited the fragile soul. In her eyes, the dumbass’ figure grew more and more transparent.
Witch Mandrake, somehow breaking free from the other half’s seal, lunged toward her soul-burning self in a panic, eyes full of desperation.
“Dumbass, what’s wrong? Dumbass! Don’t scare me!”
The person before her stayed calm. In her amber eyes, there was no fear of death. Looking at the Xiao Man in her arms, she pulled out a weak smile.
“I did it, Xiao Man...”
Her voice was as faint as a dandelion, as if it would disappear at any moment.
“Stop... don’t talk! I told you not to talk! Put the fire out, now!”
Witch Mandrake desperately slapped at the pure white flames on Mandrake’s body, but those flames were like illusions, burning only on her. No matter how she tried to extinguish them, it was useless.
The fire burned fiercer, and her form grew more and more transparent.
Mandrake reached out to stop her, and under her confused gaze, slowly shook her head.
“No need... You have my memories. You should know, this kind of soul-igniting spell can’t be stopped. Once lit, the flame devours the caster’s soul.”
“You don’t need to panic. This was my own decision. When I came here, I already knew what it would cost. The Witch’s Night in Jinling City was planned behind the scenes. Their scheme wasn’t set in a day. Long-term plans need sacrifices to be unraveled...”
As she spoke, the pure white girl looked at her increasingly transparent hands and gave a helpless smile.
“These are necessary sacrifices. Just like our teacher. The conflict between the real world and the Void Realm has always been this way.”
“Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!”
“Who told you to act all strong?! Trying to shoulder everything alone—you think you’re an eternal flame or something?!”
Witch Mandrake gripped Mandrake’s shoulders tightly. She wanted to shake her awake but was afraid her strength would only hasten her disappearance.
“This is my duty, Xiao Man...”
She smiled faintly. Her amber eyes showed no regret.
“I protected Jinling City, upheld my pride as Chief. I... didn’t betray our teacher’s teachings.”
As she spoke her final words, the flickering spirit began to fade. A tear slid down the girl’s cheek—not guilt, not regret, but peace.
“Xiao Man, I believe in you. Always have. So when you return, please—take good care of our little sister.”
“From now on, this body is yours...”
Mandrake’s once-clear voice became ethereal and dreamlike. She slowly closed her eyes as her soul continued to crumble.
Witch Mandrake stared blankly ahead—at the first person in this world who had ever accepted her. Her expression froze. The usual mischief in her crimson eyes vanished. So did the childish smile on her face.
She stared at the other girl in a daze. Her mind blank. Her face numb. An indescribable pain twisted from deep within.
Why?
Why! Why! Why! Why! Why!
Just as she was finally accepted... she was leaving?
“This body is yours”? What did that mean? Was it being handed over like charity? Was this body all she ever wanted?!
She picked up the fading girl in a princess-carry, clutching her tightly. Behind her, the Styx boiled. Nine reddish-brown tendrils erupted with apocalyptic might.
If the soul-burning flame couldn’t be extinguished, then forget trying to put it out. The previous sealing experience taught her something else: sealing could lock a person’s state at that exact moment.
She couldn’t save the dumbass now, but that didn’t mean she never would. If she could just keep her alive—then maybe, someday...
[Sealing Magic • Nine Pillars of Suppression]
Nine reddish-brown tendrils shot up like sky-piercing columns, encircling Mandrake. They spiraled inward, cocooning her flickering form in a seal.
Witch Mandrake closed her eyes. Inside the seal, the flames stopped spreading, though they didn’t go out. Mandrake’s soul was too weak—there was still a chance she could dissipate even while sealed.
She raised her hands, and the black waters of the Styx boiled over. This mysterious domain of the mental space was now fully under her control. She poured all her magical energy into the seal. The seal served as an excellent filter, allowing the energy to be absorbed more easily.
But even then—it wasn’t enough!
That much energy still wasn’t enough. She needed more. To nourish her, to sustain Mandrake’s state.
If she didn’t have enough of her own... then she’d just take it from outside!
And wouldn’t you know, a few sources were right there.
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