“Betrayal?” A cold sneer curled Wang Yue’s lips. “So, the Church finally admits to orchestrating an act of genocide?”
Richel’s breath hitched in her throat.
“Heh, why am I even wasting my breath on the dead?” Wang Yue continued. “The Explorers’ Guild won’t let the matter of Pandora’s Box slide. You won’t escape the Evernight Realm. It won’t be long before we meet again. But next time, you’ll be the one behind bars while I stand on the outside.”
Her words struck a nerve. Richel’s expression twisted into something hideous, her voice dropping into a low threat.
“We still have the Messiah…”
Wang Yue blinked, stunned for a second, before she nearly burst out laughing.
From the intelligence she had gathered, the lizardmen’s cognitive level was abysmally low. She deduced that the “Grand Figure” of the Church likely hadn’t merged their consciousness with a lizard at all. Instead, a lizard had probably eaten the Messiah’s Key first, only to then be merged with the Transcendent Materials thrown into the water.
In other words, that “Grand Figure” hadn’t been resurrected—they had simply become lizard droppings.
Naturally, she couldn’t say that out loud. If she did, the Church would stop at nothing to kill her immediately.
After Richel stormed out, Wang Yue closed her eyes to rest, processing the stream of information arriving from Ed-Bear.
The Clockwork Heart factory was running day and night, churning out a non-stop supply of Sonic Spiders. They were on track to have enough before the Academy Festival reached its peak. She didn’t even have to worry about the materials; the Guild had provided everything, transporting the components into the Demon Realm in bulk.
Everything was in place. All they needed was the final spark.
Wang Yue rubbed her fingertips together as if in prayer. “It’s all up to you now, Lilith.”
The month of preparation leading up to the Academy Festival passed in a blur of activity.
Since the event was held annually, the academy’s warehouses were packed with years of accumulated materials: lumber, colored paper, stage props, and more. Even without the ability to go out and shop, they had more than enough supplies. Under the glow of the lanterns, the old props didn’t look aged at all; they looked classic.
With the loud bang of party poppers and a flurry of falling confetti, the Academy Festival officially began.
Wang Yue stepped out of the dormitory, greeted by a scene that looked remarkably like Halloween. The Academy Festival was themed around witches and demons, and the grounds were swarming with young girls in pointed witch hats.
As per tradition, the main events were held in the Great Plaza, while smaller projects were scattered across the surrounding satellite plazas. For instance, Medeili’s Aquarium was in a smaller plaza, while the “Big Three”—the Stage Play, the Haunted House, and the Food Street—were all situated in the Great Plaza.
The parade floats departed from the front of the dormitories, weaving through the satellite plazas like a needle and thread before finally coming to a halt at the Great Plaza.
“Master…” Dorothy twisted her fingers, looking as though she had something difficult to say.
“If you don’t want to follow me, go play on your own,” Wang Yue said, not intending to keep her on a short leash.
“Thank you, Master!” Dorothy’s face lit up with joy. “Then I’m heading to the Food Street!”
She had barely taken two steps when Wang Yue called out from behind her.
“Hold it! Remember to visit the Haunted House!”
“Got it!”
Dorothy shouted back over her shoulder, her mind already occupied by candy apples, takoyaki, dango skewers, and fried tofu.
Wang Yue took a leisurely stroll toward the main venue.
The Food Street was a sea of brilliant lights, with tightly packed stalls selling delicacies that looked incredibly tempting. The Haunted House was a morbid contrast, its entrance shaped like a zombie’s mouth with twisted, jagged teeth protruding from the frame.
The most eye-catching feature, however, was the Grand Stage. Lilith stood atop a high spire—well, she was actually standing on a stepladder hidden behind cardboard scenery—wearing a dress as red as blood.
Wang Yue took a seat in the audience, which consisted of rows of school chairs, and watched quietly.
The plays from Room 202 and Room 204 were performed back-to-back. However, the scores given by the judges were quite a shock.
Despite Lilith’s script being juvenile and riddled with plot holes, it scored two points higher on a ten-point scale than Matcha’s performance of Macbeth.
The reason was simple: the judges and the audience were all students. A deep, literary work like Macbeth, which required a formal, rhythmic delivery, was far too heavy for their tastes and interests. Lilith’s script, on the other hand, was essentially: I became a witch, and now I’m invincible.
A shallow story was simply easier to digest.
Once the performance ended, the blonde girl grabbed her voluminous skirt and jumped straight off the stage. she sprinted toward Wang Yue like a whirlwind and immediately stuck out her middle finger.
“Stinking Wang Yue! I won!” Lilith yelled triumphantly.
Wang Yue couldn’t help but chuckle.
Their roommates emerged from backstage and gathered around Wang Yue. Matcha hung her head sadly.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t perform well…”
“It’s fine. The goal wasn’t to win, but to fulfill your wish, wasn’t it?” Wang Yue asked with a gentle smile.
Matcha bit her lip hard. Tears suddenly welled up and carved two tracks down her small face. “My wish… was just to play a supporting role,” she sobbed. “I never thought… I’d ever stand on stage as the lead. Thank you… thank you everyone…”
The roommates pulled her into a group hug. Through her tears, the green-haired girl flashed a radiant smile, feeling a mix of regret and pure happiness.
There were five plays in total. Once the final curtain fell, the drama project concluded, and the crowds dispersed toward other attractions. The Haunted House became the new hotspot, with a long line forming outside.
Backstage at the theater.
Lilith changed out of her costume, her expression turning solemn. The mission Wang Yue had given her was now in motion.
The first command: Approach Granahl.
Lilith crossed the streets and plazas until she reached the small building. She paused, looking up at the high arched window on the second floor. A figure in blood-red stood motionless in the office.
She climbed the stairs and pushed the door open, walking across a straight, crimson carpet to stand before Granahl.
Granahl hadn’t joined the Academy Festival to celebrate with the students. She desperately needed time to stabilize and absorb the massive, chaotic demonic energy she had taken into her body. Furthermore, with the current political tension, she had to plan her next moves.
Lilith clenched her fingers. She had a vague idea of what she was about to do, but if it meant dying for Wang Yue, she was willing. If Wang Yue never forgot her after she sacrificed herself, it would be a total win. Ideally, Wang Yue would think of her every night and cry under the covers.
Lilith imagined the black-haired girl sobbing and trembling in bed, and a surge of twisted satisfaction filled her heart.
Regret it! You stinking Wang Yue! Go crazy! A world without me might as well be destroyed!
Following the second command, Lilith activated the “Key” left behind by the Principal!
Granahl’s body jolted. A frantic burst of power erupted from her, only to be instantly locked down by wedge-shaped lines of light that surged into existence! The hidden mechanism within the Fetal Monstrosities had been triggered, forming a powerful seal that pinned her in place.
“Lilith! You dare betray me!”
Granahl let out a terrifying roar, her eyes nearly bursting from their sockets in her madness. However, most of her consciousness was forced to focus on breaking the trap Gwendolyn had left inside the Fetal Monstrosities, struggling to free herself as quickly as possible.
Lilith turned and bolted, her heart hammering against her ribs.
I didn’t die…
The final command was to head to the Haunted House?
Ah, I see! Lulu’anna’s Mystic Art.
If I can make it out alive… I can stay by Wang Yue’s side again…
This is great!
She sprinted to the Great Plaza. From a distance, she saw the young black-haired girl standing at the entrance of the Haunted House, arms crossed, looking like a lone guardian blocking the way.
Lilith’s blood boiled with excitement. Like a bolt of red lightning, she flashed across the distance to stop in front of Wang Yue.
“That was so cool! Are we running away now?!”
“Get inside! Tell the people in there that they can take the collars off now!”
Wang Yue waved her forward. Without slowing down, Lilith brushed past her and vanished into the darkness of the Haunted House.
With Granahl currently restrained, she couldn’t remotely trigger the collars to detonate the mana built up inside the little witches. This was a fact Principal Gwendolyn had personally verified.
Everything was proceeding exactly according to Wang Yue’s plan.
