Chapter 14: The Witch of the Abyss

Hours had passed since Kanata and Celestine escaped the glass prison.
By the time they reached the far end of the underground facility, the cells were empty—only the faint scent of mana and fear lingered.

“Damn it… we’re too late.”
Kanata slammed his fist against the wall, cracking the stone. The rescued children behind him trembled, terrified not of the darkness—but of the strange, scaled hand that gleamed from under his bandages.

He took a deep breath, forcing his anger down.

“It’s fine. Let’s keep moving.”

Celestine nodded, clutching a small light orb. They advanced through the ruined corridor until the path opened into a vast hall lit by dozens of black candles.

And there she was.

Hundreds of children knelt in a circle, eyes blindfolded, wrists bound.
At the center stood the woman in the violet gown—her hair flowing like ink, her hands raised over a ritual altar that pulsed with stolen life.

“Well, well, well,” Kanata said, stepping into the light with a smirk. “What do we have here?”

Morganne Valcrest turned, her crimson eyes narrowing.

“You…! How did you escape? No matter. I should’ve known you weren’t ordinary.”

Celestine stepped forward, her golden eyes fierce.

“Morganne Valcrest, by the authority of the Vairne family, I place you under arrest for the abduction and sacrifice of innocent children!”

Kanata blinked.

“Wait—you know her?”

“She’s… a relative of mine,” Celestine admitted, guilt shadowing her face. “I hid it from you so you wouldn’t get involved.”

“You’ve got a funny way of keeping secrets,” Kanata sighed.
“But fine. Let’s end this together.”

Morganne laughed, her voice echoing through the hall like broken glass.

“End this? Foolish child. I am the heir to the Banshee’s curse!
When I’m done, Nevantrax will kneel before me, and darkness will rule this world!”

She raised her arm.

“Minions—tear them apart!”

Dozens of figures in black robes burst from the shadows—soulless husks made from the spirits of the kidnapped. Their faces were blank, their movements inhuman.

“Damn it, we’re surrounded!” Kanata shouted.

The two fought back to back—Celestine weaving ice barriers while Kanata struck with pure force.
Every blow he landed sent a Minion flying, but for every one that fell, two more took its place.

“These things… they’re not human.”
“No,” Celestine said grimly. “They’re made from the stolen souls.”
“That witch…!”

Kanata clenched his cursed hand, rage burning behind his eyes.

Then, a new voice sliced through the chaos.

“Oh my, oh my… such a noisy little ritual.”

The air trembled as a wave of green light flooded the hall.
From the far end, a woman stepped out of the shadows—long dark-green hair with black tips, eyes glowing bright yellow.
Kisaragi Aine.

“Y-You… impossible!” Morganne hissed.
“Ara-ara~ why so nervous? Did I interrupt your playtime?”

Her smile was cold—elegant and cruel.
The robed Minions, sensing her power, began to back away.

“Aine…” Celestine whispered.
“What are you doing here?”

“Cleaning up the mess you all made.”
She snapped her fingers. The shattered glass littering the floor floated up, reshaping into gleaming weapons of emerald mana.

“<Verdant Armory>.”

Spears, blades, and rifles of living glass hovered around her, humming with energy.
She pointed one directly at Morganne.

“You wanted immortality?” she said softly. “Here’s your funeral gift.”

“<Seedshot>.”

Dozens of bullets fired in unison, sprouting into thorned vines wherever they struck, pinning the Banshee’s minions to the walls.
Screams echoed as the roots drained their energy dry.

“Stop it!” Kanata shouted. “You’ll hit the children!”

“Out of my way. This isn’t your concern.”

She raised another weapon—

“<Forgeshot>.”

The metal pipes and debris around her twisted into glowing rifles, the barrels pulsing like flowers blooming with death.

“And this last one—” she smirked, eyes glinting. “—is for you, Morganne.”

The explosion shook the entire facility.
The Banshee screamed as the impact tore through her ritual circle, scorching her beautiful face.

“My face! My beautiful face!”

Aine lowered her gun with an icy smile.

“You should’ve stayed in the shadows.”

But before she could finish, Kanata stepped between them.

“That’s enough! You’re going to kill the hostages too!”

“Move.”

“No.”

Her glare sharpened.

“Then you’re part of the problem.”

Without hesitation, Aine struck him with the butt of her gun, sending him crashing into a pillar.
Pain shot through his ribs—but something inside him snapped, deeper than bone.

Voices… whispers… again.

“Weak… useless… why protect them?”

Kanata gritted his teeth.

Not this time.

He rose slowly, clutching his bandaged hand as it pulsed with dark light.
Itsuha and Rio, just arriving at the entrance, froze in shock.

“Kanata?! Don’t tell me he’s losing control again—!” Itsuha gasped.

The floor cracked beneath him.
A roar—not human, not dragon, but something in between—rumbled through the chamber.

“ENOUGH!!!”

Kanata slammed his hand to the ground. A shockwave of dark-blue energy erupted outward, shattering Aine’s magic constructs and absorbing every curse and spell in its path.
Morganne’s remaining forces were blasted away, the Banshee herself thrown into a collapsing pillar.

The room fell silent except for the crackle of fading mana.

Celestine rushed forward, shielding the children with a snowy dome of light.

“<Snow Barrier>!”

Moments later, red signal flares shot up into the sky—Itsuha’s magic.
The elite task force from Tokyo Magic Academy stormed in, subduing the injured cultists and binding Morganne in chains of holy energy.

“Morganne Valcrest, you’re under arrest.”

Kanata stood in the center of it all, breathing heavily. Slowly, the dark glow around his arm dimmed.
From afar, Kaname’s voice echoed faintly through a telepathic link.

“Kanata… how many times must I tell you not to meddle in these things?”

He winced.

“Sorry, Mother. Couldn’t help it.”

“Hmph. You’ll be hearing from me later.”

Nearby, Aine holstered her weapon, scowling.

“Tch. Men… always charging in like heroes. You’re all the same.”

Without another word, she turned and vanished into the night.

The next morning, the academy was buzzing with excitement.
Kanata, Celestine, Itsuha, and Rio stood on the main stage as the headmaster presented them with official commendations.

“For your bravery and teamwork in resolving the Banshee kidnapping case, we award you the Medal of Arcane Honor.”

The students cheered.
Kanata just scratched his head awkwardly.

“Can I go home now?”

Celestine sighed.

“You could at least look proud.”

Meanwhile, back at the Tendou residence, Nagisa was sprawled on Kanata’s bed, hugging his pillow with sparkling eyes.

“My cute little brother, the hero of Tokyo! I knew it!”

On the rooftop of an abandoned building near the harbor, a man in a black coat watched the sunrise.
His blue hair fluttered in the wind, and his golden eyes—so much like Kanata’s—glimmered with quiet amusement.

“So… I finally found you.”

A gust of wind blew past, scattering the leaves.
When they cleared—he was gone.