"Witches always have to try cursing fate, don't they?"

As her words fell, a glimmer lit up in Anna's eyes.

This time, she skipped the incantation altogether. Dense magical energy began to coalesce without warning.

Intense light gathered at her fingertips, and the ultimate compressed explosive magic ignited instantly, setting alight the smoke mixed with flammable debris.

Flames surged upward, and in this semi-enclosed space, a fierce wind roared in, wrapping around the blazing fire and forming a wall of flame so intense that it could burn all flesh into ashes.

Several of the cultists who hadn't fallen into the pool of blood were engulfed by the fire within moments, their agonized screams drowned in the flames. Their bodies were reduced to charred remains, and the nauseating stench of burning flesh filled the air.

"Damn it!"

The banshee was forced to retreat temporarily by the flames, her face twisting with fury.

She still had many tricks up her sleeve, and she could clearly see Anna's current fragile state. She knew that with just a little more pressure, Anna's mental defenses would completely collapse.

Yet, Anna's carefully calculated maneuver—a perfect execution built on careful planning—had left the banshee unable to deploy any of her methods. She could only watch helplessly as the flames pushed her back and saw Anna flip her palm, magical energy surging, and strike down toward the ground.

She was aiming to destroy the altar itself!

"Stop!"

The banshee shrieked as a crescent moon blade in her hand slashed forth with chilling brilliance.

But it was too late.

Anna completely ignored the banshee's threatening assault, letting the blade's light graze past her cheek.

She lowered herself, her palm pressing against the altar.

There was no time for magic, no moments for martial skills, not even seconds to employ any items. All her magical power gathered into her palm and erupted in an instant.

And that was enough.

The ground shook violently.

Cracks spread like spider webs across the surface, and as her augmented power burst forth, the altar—made from unknown materials—collapsed into ruins.

Dust filled the air as Anna stood amidst the rubble, slowly straightening up.

The intricate, mystical markings that had adorned the altar were now completely dimmed. The blood that had been levitating lost its supporting force and reversed direction, flowing back into the blood pool. The waves churned momentarily before settling into calm stillness.

Though the mission was accomplished, Anna displayed no joy on her face. She merely lowered her gaze and sighed softly.

"It's over."

The altar was destroyed, and the ritual to summon the Dark God was rendered impossible.

She wasn’t sure of their ultimate goal, but interrupting such a critical step surely meant their subsequent plans would fall apart too.

Even though serpentification was now beyond cure, and she was inevitably walking toward her end, at least… at least she wouldn’t let anyone else die because of her, right?

That was enough.

Anna looked up, expecting the banshee’s enraged attack to land soon, hoping to die at her hands… That wouldn’t be so bad.

Although… I'm sorry, junior, for saying those things to you…

"Over? Are you kidding?"

Anna’s pupils contracted sharply, her heart momentarily stopping.

Because not only did the banshee refrain from attacking, she stood where she was, her earlier anger and ferocity fading away, replaced instead with an expression that resembled amusement—like someone enjoying the futile struggles of an insect.

"Did you really think you could stop us, stop the great Moon's plan, just like this? Anna Kablin, you’ve underestimated yourself."

"Underestimated… myself?"

Anna furrowed her brows in confusion, unable to understand the meaning behind the banshee’s words.

But at that moment, the banshee suddenly knelt down before her with reverence.

"Oh, great Moon, the honored divine heir has been delivered. Please descend upon us!"

Divine heir?

What divine heir?

And what descent?

Hadn’t the summoning altar been destroyed? How could they descend?

Countless questions flooded Anna’s mind, accompanied by those relentless, icy whispers that caused stabbing pain in her head.

Only the luminescent moonlight brought her a semblance of peace, as if urging her heart to still its turmoil… to rest eternally.

Wait.

Moonlight?

The ritual had been disrupted—where could any moonlight come from?

Anna jerked awake, her beautiful eyes widening as she abruptly looked up.

In an instant, her body turned ice-cold.

It felt as though all her blood had been drawn out, her delicate figure uncontrollably trembling.

Because above her, a massive ghostly blue moon loomed, seemingly compressed into this semi-enclosed space, dominating her entire field of vision.

The Moon had indeed descended.

And it wasn’t the kind of feeble presence summoned through sacrificial rituals.

What appeared before Anna was—at the very least—a complete projection!

"Is… is that how it is?"

As Anna looked at the ghostly blue moon above, her thoughts coalesced, every loose thread weaving into a clear connection.

What "divine heir" meant.

What "descent" entailed.

And the true underlying meaning of the banshee’s words from the start: "You are the most crucial piece in this plan."

The blood pool.

The altar.

The sacrifices.

None of those ever truly mattered—they were solely coordinates for the Dark God to locate.

By the time Anna arrived, those coordinates had already been finalized.

What truly mattered was her—Anna Kablin.

She was the pivotal element for this descent.

The moment she stood here, everything became unavoidable.

Understanding the truth, a dagger appeared in Anna’s hand. Without hesitation, she slit toward her own snow-white neck.

Clang—

Sparks flew.

The blade failed to cut her vital artery. Before it could land, jet-black scales had blossomed over her alabaster skin, as hard as steel.

Then, an incomprehensibly higher-level gaze descended from the ghostly blue moon, coldly surveying the struggling girl.

But all resistance proved futile.

The pure moonlight cascaded down. Anna’s body began to rise uncontrollably into the air, her violet dress spreading out, making her appear as if she were a mermaid dancing in the depths of the sea.

The dagger clattered to the ground.

As though truly submerged in the abyssal sea, Anna felt an overwhelming coldness and silence.

Her blood's warmth was siphoned away bit by bit. Her heartbeat grew sluggish. A bone-chilling awareness entered her mind, tearing apart her fragile mental defenses with alarming speed.

Even the jewel she had held onto—her Tear of True Love—dimmed, unable to emit its light under the Dark God's oppressive gaze.

Even her emotions seemed to be stripped away string by string. In her mind, the familiar figure of someone she cherished gradually blurred.

"Junior…"

Compared to the torrential assault on her mind, the transformation of her body was far quicker. Black scales rushed to encase every inch of her skin. The delicate stockings chosen to accentuate her beauty were shredded, their remnants fluttering aside as a slender, glowing serpent’s tail emerged from beneath her skirt, swaying gently under the moonlight.

She was breathtakingly beautiful; her transformation was eerie.

...

"So this is… the soon-to-be perfect serpentine?"

The banshee crawled closer, kneeling in awe as she gazed at the girl undergoing transformation beneath the moonlight. A flash of envy crossed her eyes, but it was soon replaced by unbridled fanaticism.

"To serve as the vessel for Moon's descent, to wholly become part of Moon itself—you should feel honored, Anna Kablin."

"But as for the real you, surely you couldn’t be happy about this. After all, you’ve completely, utterly become… something even more monstrous than me.”

The banshee watched Anna's still furrowed brows. Despite everything, her consciousness seemed to be making its final stand. With a tinge of regret, the banshee remarked:

"A shame—you’ll never awaken again. If only I could see your reaction upon realizing you’ve become a thorough monster."

"But that’s not something worth holding my breath over now."

The banshee tilted her head, listening attentively. Suddenly, her lips twisted into a mocking smile.

"Can't believe that guy came after all. I can’t wait to see his reaction when he sees you like this. Although…"

Turning once more to bow reverently to the ghostly blue moon, she straightened and strolled into the shadowy depths.

"Let’s pick up where our unfinished game left off."

"I’m quite looking forward to it, Moen Campbell."