Release that Witch Chapter 1501 - Release That Witch: Side Story (Part 3)

The return journey proceeded with exceptional smoothness.

They hadn't traveled far when another vanguard squad arrived right at their position. These were the true reinforcements that had hurried to their aid upon spotting Meyna’s distress signal. The two groups united and pressed on toward Taquila. Though demon traces appeared now and then along the route, they consisted only of lone sentries, posing no danger whatsoever to this force.

With the crisis safely past, Meyna felt a wave of relief and shifted her focus to Nightingale. In their discussion, Nightingale revealed little about her past. She simply expressed her need to meet the Holy City's supreme leader. Meyna raised no objections, for Nightingale's skills and magic power marked her as a senior witch. One of such caliber merited a meeting with the top brass. Plus, Meyna herself had to deliver a thorough report. Willing or not, the higher-ups would soon learn of Nightingale's presence.

After three days and two nights of relentless travel, Taquila City at last came into view for all.

“That’s Taquila…”

Nightingale slid off her horse and gazed toward the distant city. Towering walls encircled it, resembling a verdant mountain rising from the flatlands. Even the Hermes Defense Line paled in comparison. No human hands could craft such grand fortifications. In this age, it stood as a witches' exclusive wonder.

Countless soaring towers dotted the cityscape. Legend held that only elite Awakened witches claimed mastery over them. The loftiest, the “Tower of Babel,” served as the seat of power for the Holy City's sovereign, the Queen of Starfall City.

“How is it? It’s magnificent, isn’t it?” Mayne said proudly. “It’s the largest of the three Holy Cities. The demons will never be able to take it down.”

Yet five centuries hence, it would lie in ruins. Nightingale pressed her lips together but held her tongue, knowing full well that leaders wouldn't readily share grim truths with the ranks below. The troops required unwavering morale to battle to the very end.

“Do you think… even if we can defend the Holy City, we can’t win against the demons?” Meyna caught the turmoil in her gaze.

“What I think doesn’t matter. What matters is what you think.”

“What we think?” Meyna was stunned.

“That’s right.” Nightingale's mind flashed back to that fateful night, when she had slipped into the lord’s chambers to await him, her own heart gripped by doubts about what lay ahead. “If we follow the current path, we definitely won’t be able to defeat the demons. But since I’m here, I won’t stand by and do nothing.”

What a peculiar sensation…Meyna mused.

Any other high-ranking witch uttering those words might seem overly haughty. But from this enigmatic stranger of unknown origins, they rang with undeniable conviction.

As though she had witnessed victory's dawn firsthand.

“Let’s go,” said Nightingale, swinging onto her horse.

Once inside the bustling Holy City, the garrison parted ways, as Meyna guided Nightingale straight to the Tower of Babel. She needed to file her report first, and showing due honor to a senior witch came second. Still, no instant summons came; they waited in the entrance hall for word.

Beyond that, Nightingale spotted seven or eight warriors clad in heavy armor scattered about the hall.

In her fog vision, they appeared as stark voids. Impossible to overlook. They bore God’s Stones of Retaliation.

“It seems that the Queen of Witches doesn’t trust visitors from other worlds.” Nightingale chuckled softly.

“What did you say?” Meyna had no clue.

“It’s nothing. This has nothing to do with you,” she replied casually.

Yet Meyna took it differently. “Are you worried about the audience? Don’t worry, the Union has always respected powerful Awakened ones. You’re so young, and you’re as powerful as a senior witch. As long as you explain your background to the lords, you’ll definitely be treated equally.”

At this point, she suddenly sighed. “If my sister wasn’t so stubborn, she would have been one of the higher-ups of the Union by now.”

“Your sister?” asked Nightingale casually.

“Yes.” Meyna’s eyes lit up. “Even when she was in the Union, she was one of the top genius witches. She was even personally praised by the Three Chief Witches. I thought that with time, she could become the core of the leadership, just like the Queen of Witches…”

“Oh? That’s something.” Nightingale shrugged. “What’s her name? I might have heard of her.”

After spending three days in close contact, Meyna had ceased to be startled by such responses—as though the woman possessed immense knowledge, yet remained completely ignorant of the world. For instance, she showed profound unfamiliarity with everyday facts about the Holy City, the Union, and similar matters, lacking even the awareness befitting a senior witch. Yet during their evening camp chats, she eloquently expounded on challenging subjects, like the true nature of the stars overhead and the reason flames blazed fiercely against the breeze. Any challenge or doubt from Meyna would invariably leave her bewildered by the woman's even more elaborate explanations.

Thus, when Nightingale posed the question, Meyna felt zero astonishment. “Her name is Agatha. She’s the youngest senior witch.”

“Pfft!” Nightingale coughed up her saliva for the second time.

“You…”

“I’ve heard of her before. I’ve heard of her before.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Not only have I heard of her, but I know her quite well.”

How could she not know Agatha intimately? Since Agatha arrived in Graycastle, Roland had handed over nearly all his research tasks to her, turning himself into little more than a laid-back overseer. Back then, Nightingale hadn't spotted the scheme, but now it was crystal clear: Roland was just being lazy!

These remarks carried an entirely different implication for Meyna.

This young woman understood scant details about Taquila, yet claimed deep familiarity with Agatha. Didn't that suggest Agatha outshone even the famed legends of the Holy City?

“How did you encounter my sister?”

“Well…” Nightingale averted her gaze. “It’s a long story.”

Meanwhile, a grand scheme began forming in her thoughts. With Agatha alive and at odds with the Holy City, it signaled the Union's impending doom. Time for humanity was running perilously short, yet this presented her perfect chance to alter the course of fate.

“Is this Miss Nightingale?” At that moment, a group approached Nightingale and Meyna. Leading them was an armored female warrior.

From their gear, they appeared to be the Union's elite forces, the Blessed Army.

“I am,” Nightingale replied, rising to her feet.

“Please accompany us.”

Meyna tried to tag along too, but the warrior extended her arm to block her. “Your duty concludes here. Return to camp and await further commands.”

She paused briefly, then reluctantly complied.

“Hey, Meyna,” Nightingale called out abruptly.

“Lady Nightingale?”

“Stay safe, no matter what.” She pivoted with a grin. “We will triumph.”

…

Atop the Tower of Babel.

The instant Nightingale entered the hall, multiple gazes locked onto her.

She recognized this wary, suspicious stare all too well. Reaching the hall's center, she gave a casual wave to the women occupying the prime seats. The others were strangers, but the red-haired figure in the center was intimately known to her. This was the architect of the Union's ultimate structure, the one who plunged witches into their bleakest nightmare.

She was the church's founder, Alice, the Queen of Witches.

“How dare you!”

“You must kneel before the Chiefs!”

Right as she lifted her hand, a warrior bellowed.

Nightingale shrugged with a mischievous flair. “Apologies. As a Graycastle citizen, I'm not versed in Union customs.”

“A citizen… of Graycastle?”

“What's that place?” The witches appeared baffled.

Finally, Alice broke the silence. “It’s irrelevant. In these dire times, we can't waste breath on petty issues. The vanguard reported encountering you in the northern Fertile Plains. So this Graycastle lies there too? I've never heard of major human settlements remaining in the north.”

“Actually, it’s not in the north at all.” Nightingale smirked. “Graycastle began in the distant east. Over decades of growth, it evolved into the continent's unified human kingdom. Truth be told, the Fertile Plains now falls under Graycastle’s domain—”

“Nonsense!” A lead witch cut her off sharply. “The east holds nothing but forests and mountains. A human realm there is impossible!”

Anger flickered across Alice’s features as well.

“It does exist.” Nightingale stood firm. “After the Union's fall, it emerged as humanity's sole sanctuary. Your God’s Punishment Army initiative caused witches to vanish. You sought to regroup and strike back, only to suffer total annihilation.”

These words ignited chaos in the hall.

The chief witches' faces twisted in shock!

To date, the God’s Punishment Army remained a top-secret endeavor. Only Quest Society heads and Taquila's rulers knew of it.

Yet this mysterious outsider had brazenly exposed the Queen of Starfall City’s hidden ace?

“Guards! This person is a spy for Natalya. Take her down!” commanded the witch who had cut her off.

Four warriors in heavy armor charged straight at Nightingale without delay.

A high-grade witch would be powerless under the God’s Stone of Retaliation's effect within its range!

Yet Nightingale remained utterly calm, lifting her left hand to snap her fingers before sweeping it through the air!

Four black threads shot out instantly, smashing the God’s Stones dangling from the warriors’ chests.

Lacking this crucial protection, the warriors stood no chance against Nightingale. In a flash, she felled them all, carefully sparing their vital spots. Though the injuries kept them from rising, not a single one perished.

“How is this possible!?”

The witch’s shocked cry echoed the thoughts of everyone present.

Breaking the God’s Stone of Retaliation’s seal with her power?

This astonishing sight utterly upended all their knowledge!

Even Extraordinary fighters could rely only on raw physical might inside the God’s Stone’s domain! But those eerie threads and her flickering form proved beyond doubt that she wasn’t some body-enhancing witch.

“Get out of the way!” Alice sprang into action.

She seized the longsword beside her and swung it fiercely at Nightingale, the blade glowing with golden radiance—the gift of the Sigil of God’s Will.

Nightingale grinned and drew her dagger from her belt, its edge shimmering with identical light.

“She also has a Sigil of God’s Will?”

Amid the crowd’s stunned gasps, Nightingale lifted her dagger to block Alice’s strike. Seeing the Queen of Witches held no killing intent, she avoided targeting lethal areas and met the sword directly!

A sharp clang rang out as Alice’s sword snapped in two, while Nightingale’s dagger emerged untouched.

The hall fell into dead silence.

Nightingale felt no surprise at the outcome. Forged from chromium molybdenum vanadium steel on an industrial line, how could her dagger lose to a handmade alloy blade?

Magic stone artifacts were commonplace in Graycastle now, yet during the Taquila times, elite seals remained exclusive to the finest witches.

“Who… are you?” Alice whispered.

“I’m here to help you,” Nightingale replied, sliding her dagger back into its sheath. “To stop the witches from repeating that grave error. And to rescue the human realm from demonic annihilation.”

A sudden realization struck Alice.

I am a citizen of Graycastle.

The Graycastle originated in the far east.

When the Union was destroyed, it became the only refuge for mankind.

The God’s Punishment Army plan will only cause the witches to fail miserably.

Initially, she had dismissed those absurd claims, but upon deeper reflection now, what if they held truth?

“Could it be that… you can foresee the future?”

“No.” Nightingale smirked. “I am from the future.”

This revelation left everyone speechless. Instinct urged them to reject it, yet confronted by such dominant strength, it seemed the only logical answer.

“Lady Alice, the sentinel troops have urgent intelligence!” A armored warrior burst into the hall, shattering the heavy tension.

“What is it? Speak!” The Queen of Starfall City demanded steadily.

“Demons have appeared in massive numbers north of Taquila! Their origin is unknown!” the warrior reported in panic. “Red mist blankets the region. At least ten thousand strong!”

One chief witch leaped to her feet. “How close are the demons to us?”

“Less than… half a day’s journey.”

“Nonsense!” Fury blazed in her. “Our scouts cover the entire Fertile Plains. How could such a horde slip right up to our doorstep?”

The warrior bowed his head. “I don’t know, but that’s the garrison’s report.”

“Where’s the messenger?”

“He delivered the message to the Holy City but succumbed to his wounds…”

“Wu wu wu wu wu wu wu wu wu~~~~~~~”

Mid-sentence, a blaring horn wailed relentlessly outside the Holy City!

Alice’s face paled. She discarded the shattered sword and strode toward the hall’s terrace. The others trailed her to the overlook.

Dark clouds loomed over the northern sky. Scarlet fog churned like viscous sludge, rolling relentlessly toward the Holy City, thick enough to taint the heavens red!

No verification was needed.

Anyone with eyes could see it was a demonic horde.

The sentry had only erred on the timing.

They’d reach the Holy City far sooner than half a day.

“Why… why didn’t the advance teams respond at all?” The senior witches fumed in rage. “Can demons become invisible?!”

“We must recall all the troops we dispatched!”

“Too late! Order the Blessed Army to confront the foe!”

“This explains everything,” Nightingale mused thoughtfully.

“What do you understand?” Alice refrained from dismissing her as insane this time.

“I’ve long pondered why Taquila crumbled so swiftly. As the Union’s ultimate bastion, it barely endured a month.” Nightingale spoke deliberately, “Upon reflection, it seems the Sky-sea Realm threats have waned, freeing demons to redirect forces to the Land of Dawn.”

These unfamiliar terms caused everyone to exchange bewildered glances.

“If my guess holds, these are the demons’ vanguard forces. Swarms more will likely flood the Fertile Plains ahead.” Nightingale rested a hand on Alice’s shoulder. “Rest easy, though—I’ll aid in safeguarding the Holy City. Shift your mindset and tactics, and victory remains possible.”

“What must we alter?” Alice inquired instinctively.

Nightingale vaulted onto the terrace railing, turning northward. Fierce winds lashed her flowing robe and tossed her golden tresses. “First, trust that mortals can vanquish demons.”

She then raised two fingers. “Second, curse the deities’ so-called smile.”

With that, she rose on her toes and toppled backward toward the assembly, plummeting from the heights.

“You—” Alice lunged to seize her, only to grasp empty air.

Nightingale had slipped into the Mist.

Each stride warped the lines around her, like treading invisible steps in midair. Within this grayscale domain, she observed the city rousing to the horn’s clamor. Thoroughfares brimmed with panicked civilians dashing about. Garrison troops and fighting witches ascended the battlements or manned outer strongholds per their drills.

Amid the forces beyond the walls, Nightingale sensed a recognizable magic pulse.

She veered her course and leaped toward its source.

“All hands, seek cover and hold fire until demons close in!”

“Priority one: shatter their siege engines!”

“Spot a Lord of Hell-tier enemy, launch signal smoke right away. Blessed Army backup en route!”

At the vanguard, the commander roared directives. Meyna hunkered in a foxhole, staring at the crimson haze nearby. It was not her first t