Chapter 22 — The Witch of Wrath

The black living uniform settled into silence. The last tendril disappeared beneath the dark fabric.

Slowly...

Wrath opened her eyes.

She no longer resembled the cheerful idol known as Fluffy Star. Her hair had become long, messy, and black, streaked with dark pink highlights. One glowing crimson eye stared from beneath the curtain of hair covering the other side of her face. Her pale skin contrasted sharply with the black hoodie trimmed in pink, the pink plaid tie and skirt, the chain hanging at her waist, the torn stockings, and the dark boots.

She stood half a head taller than Greed.

Her expression...

Contained nothing but anger.

A suffocating silence settled over the stadium. Even the goblins had stopped attacking. Thousands of terrified spectators stared at Wrath.

"...P-Pink Braver...?" one man whispered.

Wrath slowly turned her head. Her single crimson eye locked onto him. The man's face lost all color. He stumbled backward and fell onto the concrete floor.

Then—

"Kyaaaaaaa♥!"

A delighted squeal shattered the silence.

Wrath's irritated gaze shifted toward Greed. Greed clasped both hands against her flushed cheeks. Her impossible smile widened even further. She swayed from side to side like a girl hopelessly in love.

"Darling♥! You're even more beautiful than I imagined! I've completely fallen in love with you all over again!"

Wrath didn't answer. She simply crossed her arms, her expression remaining one of quiet irritation.

Greed continued without pause.

"Please be my girlfriend!"

She gasped dramatically.

"No, wait! We should get married instead! Right now! You can be the husband! I'll be the bride!"

Wrath remained completely silent.

Greed spun happily around her.

"We'll destroy the world together! We'll live as one big happy family!"

Then she stopped and clapped her hands.

"Oh! Do you want children? We can kidnap human kids and raise them together!"

She pressed her hands together like a pillow against her cheek as her imagination ran wild.

"And when they grow up and become ugly, we'll turn them into goblins... and then we'll kidnap some more and start again!"

She laughed dreamily.

"Doesn't that sound romantic?"

No response.

Greed leaned closer.

"We should start our beautiful love story... with a passionate kiss!"

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She spread her arms.

"Daaaaaarliiiiiiing♥!!"

Greed threw herself toward Wrath.

Without changing expression—

Wrath caught Greed by the hair. With one effortless motion...

She swung her overhead, throwing her through the air like a projectile.

CRASH!!

Greed's body smashed through the giant television screen suspended above the stadium. The massive display shattered into thousands of fragments, sending Greed crashing to the floor with the wreckage.

For several seconds...

No one spoke.

Then voices erupted from the crowd.

"She did it!"

"Pink Braver defeated her!"

"We're saved!"

Wrath slowly turned toward them. Her angry expression never changed. Black tendrils quietly emerged from beneath her sleeves.

"...Say them again..."

The cheering stopped.

"...The same words. The ones you shouted at me... Say them again!"

The tendrils spread across the stadium like black vines. People screamed as they wrapped around countless spectators and lifted them high above the ground.

Within moments...

Thousands of people hung helplessly in the air.

"P-Pink Braver!... What are you doing?!"

"Help! I can't get down!"

Wrath looked up at them.

"...Cowards!... Liars!... You only know how to cheer!... until you're afraid!"

She slowly raised one hand.

People screamed in fear as the tendrils tightened. The bodies of the suspended spectators began to morph, becoming rigid.

"...My!... My body!..."

"...Someone!... Help us!..."

After a few seconds, the bodies of everyone hanging in the air transformed into lifeless piñatas, their expressions of fear painted across their faces.

"..."

The entire stadium fell silent, and Wrath suddenly clenched the hand she had raised toward the lifeless piñatas.

Then—

With a deafening series of cracks...

POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP!

The suspended figures burst apart in showers of brightly colored paper and candy, scattering across the stadium floor like the remnants of festival decorations. Colorful sweets rained through the air.

Wrath stretched out her arms. Her furious laughter echoed throughout the stadium.

"Hahahahahahaha!"

The candy continued falling like grotesque confetti.

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Elsewhere...

The battle in the backstage corridor continued.

Saki dodged another enormous puppet hand. Wood splintered as her punch knocked it aside. Another immediately took its place.

"Damn it!"

The six floating puppet hands moved independently, refusing to leave even the smallest opening.

Behind them...

Sloth stood trembling.

"...Why..."

"...aren't..."

"...you..."

"...using..."

"...your powers...?"

Saki glared at her.

"Shut up!"

In truth...

Her lightning could destroy the puppet hands instantly. But if Sloth had once been human... if there was even the slightest chance of saving her... Saki couldn't bring herself to unleash lethal force.

Sloth lowered her eyes.

"...You..."

"...haven't..."

"...changed..."

Saki frowned.

"What?"

The timid witch spoke as though she knew her.

Before Saki could ask what she meant—

A tiny black goblin hurried into the hallway. It climbed onto Sloth's shoulder and whispered into her ear. Sloth let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"...It's..."

"...finished..."

Saki's heart froze.

"What did you say?"

Black tendrils suddenly wrapped around Sloth's body. Her form slowly dissolved into darkness.

"Wait!"

Saki lunged forward.

Sloth gave one last timid wave.

"...Goodbye..."

She vanished.

The puppet hands crumbled into lifeless wood.

Saki froze for only a second. Then she turned toward her soldiers.

"The stage! Move!"

She kicked open the massive doors.

"I'll save you, Sakura!"

The doors burst inward.

Saki's momentum stopped instantly. Her eyes widened.

The enormous stadium...

Was silent.

Sakura was gone. The audience was gone. The stage was empty.

The floor was covered with shredded piñata remains, brightly colored paper, and an endless sea of candy. The shattered remains of the giant television screen lay among the debris. The only sound was candy rolling slowly across the concrete.

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Far away...

Military helicopters converged on the stadium while columns of armored vehicles surrounded the complex.

Far from the chaos...

Two figures walked calmly into the night.

Wrath walked ahead with her hands tucked into the pockets of her black hoodie. Her expression remained permanently irritated.

Clinging happily to her arm...

Was Greed.

A streak of blood ran down Greed's forehead from where she had crashed through the screen.

"Hehehe... That was such a beautiful first date."

Wrath didn't even look at her.

"...Get lost. ...Before I rip your head off."

Greed's delighted laughter echoed through the darkness.

"I love that side of you too, darling♥."

The two Witches continued walking. Their silhouettes slowly disappeared into the night.

Behind them...

Starlight Stadium had become the site of humanity's greatest tragedy since the end of the war against King Cosmos.