In the palace of Shengen Kingdom.

Amidst a scene of revelry and luxury, high-ranking nobles circulated with glasses in hand.

They gathered in small groups, chatting merrily.

Beside the main seat stood King Yake of Shengen Kingdom. He raised a goblet forged from gold and gems.

"Let’s toast to a brighter future!"

"Cheers!"

Guests lifted their glasses in unison, cheering toward Yake.

Yake downed his wine in one gulp. He had never felt so content.

Ever since being forced into the Pride Witch’s territory, Shengen Kingdom had lost its royal dignity.

Whenever people mentioned Shengen, they recalled only the seventh king kneeling at the Pride Witch’s feet. He begged her not to annihilate the kingdom. All knew it as a weak, pitiful nation.

Even so, the taxes paid to the Pride Witch each year were astronomical. They did nothing to strengthen the nation.

No one could swallow such humiliation.

But now, things were different.

Heaven had given him a chance to turn things around. If he didn’t seize it, he’d be Shengen’s traitor.

A month ago, an organization called "Demon Hunt" approached him.

They offered an irresistible deal: join them and overthrow the Witches’ rule.

At first, Yake thought they were mad.

But as they explained further, he realized overthrowing the Witches might not be impossible.

Among the seven Witches, the Pride Witch was undoubtedly the strongest. Yet she never bothered with her subordinates.

For nearly three hundred years of provocations, she had never intervened. Even when many followers were wiped out, she never inquired.

Only once, when she happened to be traveling, did a bit of chaos trigger her wrath. She slaughtered every Demon Hunter in that city.

Thus, Demon Hunt changed tactics.

They would first rebel against weaker Witches. Using that base, they’d encircle and kill the next. Finally, they’d deal with the formidable Pride Witch.

The key was avoiding the Pride Witch herself.

Everything else was fair game.

Now, everything unfolded as Demon Hunt planned. Soon, allied kingdoms would attack Shengen. After a harmless battle, Shengen would join them.

Thus, Shengen could gradually grow stronger.

After overthrowing the Pride Witch, it would regain freedom.

The plan was perfect, proceeding smoothly.

Soon, Yake would be the greatest king to restore Shengen’s glory.

What a wonderful first step to life’s peak!

Yake drank his wine contentedly. The icy chill made him shiver.

"Who warmed this wine? It’s freezing!" he grumbled. Looking down, he realized the lively palace had gone eerily silent.

Thin, cold wisps of pale red mist seeped through the hall.

The crowd around him stared with glazed eyes. Seconds later, their heads separated from their bodies.

Gushing blood splattered Yake’s face, merging with the bloody mist.

In a daze, he scanned the thickening red fog. Shengen’s nobles lay silently on the floor.

Their wounds stopped bleeding quickly. The mist blinded him completely.

Fear and horror surged within him.

Yake tried to scream. But a cold Crimson Great Scythe pressed against his throat. Behind him, a little girl’s playful giggle echoed.

"Mom has business with you. Come with me..."

Yake’s consciousness drowned, fading into the impenetrable red mist.

......

When he woke, Yake met a pair of pale red eyes observing him. Something restrained in those eyes made him deeply uneasy.

"Mom, he’s awake!" Helena sat on the steps below, elbows on knees, chin in hands, perfectly obedient.

That familiar childish voice made Yake shiver. He recalled the boundless red mist in the palace.

Looking up, he saw a woman in a black gown lounging on the throne. Beside her stood a maid in black and white uniform. This snapped him back to reality.

Uncontrollable fear gripped his heart.

Aileen watched the awakened Yake. She glanced at the Pride Witch beside her, who showed no interest.

Aileen didn’t know why her master intervened directly. Normally, she’d hand such matters to Aileen with indifference.

Why deploy Helena—a forbidden weapon—for such a common rebellion?

Aileen had seen Shengen’s palace: no survivors, not a drop of blood wasted. Very Helena’s style.

So why capture the king alive?

Aileen sensed something different about her master today. More cunning and ruthless than before.

"I don’t want to hear or say anything extra. Who ordered you to rebel?"

Yake moved his lips but said nothing. Even knowing this stunning woman’s identity, he wanted leverage.

Before he could think two seconds, a cold voice commanded:

"Helena, crush his groin."

Thud!

Excruciating pain made Yake scream. His face turned deathly pale.

Instinctively, he covered his groin, feeling only warm fluid. Blood seeped from his pants.

"Answer, or you’ll lose both legs too. Men understand men best."

Cecile knew well what losing one’s lower body meant. It wasn’t just physical pain.

Pain. So much pain! She wanted him to feel the same.

Faced with threat and reality, Yake surrendered. Without hesitation, he betrayed them.

"Demon Hunt! It was Demon Hunt!!!"

"Demon Hunt?" Aileen heard the name for the first time. It sounded like "hunting Witches." Did that mean this organization targeted her master?

"Next question: was she the one who contacted you?"

A magical projection appeared before Yake. A girl with long black hair in a side ponytail, draped in a black cloak.

He nodded. "Yes, her!"

"Good. You’ve proven your worth," Cecile said, nodding satisfactorily. She called to the bored little girl below the steps, blowing her hair. "The rest is yours, Helena."

Just as Yake thought he’d be released, he realized his head was falling. In his dying moments, he saw his own body. Beside it stood the little girl holding the Crimson Great Scythe, smiling happily.

Items without value should be disposed of. Cecile wouldn’t keep someone with hidden agendas, even if insignificant. Throughout history, small figures had altered the world’s course.

Helena skipped up to the throne beside Cecile. She fidgeted, observing Cecile deep in thought. Carefully, she took Cecile’s hand and placed it on her head.

"Mom, did I do well?"

"Wonderful. My good girl."

"Hehe…" Helena giggled childishly. "Helena is a good girl. Mom’s good girl. Hehe…"

Her innocent expression showed no trace of the merciless beheader she had just been.

Aileen ignored the tender scene. "Regarding Demon Hunt, I’ll start investigating."

Demon Hunt was still a hidden underground group, not yet exposed.

"Set it aside for now. After I catch that lovely girl, we’ll proceed."

"Why?"

"If we startle the snake, this cat-and-mouse game won’t be fun."

Cecile rose from the throne. A purplish-red vortex opened before her.

"Until I return, maintain the status quo."

"As you command, Master."

Aileen lifted her skirt, bowed slightly, and performed a standard maid’s curtsy.

Helena hesitated, then took Cecile’s hand and followed her into the vortex.

......

Hockear Hospital.

Cecile, holding Helena’s hand, appeared in this well-known small hospital.

They were no longer in their signature attire: Cecile’s dark gown and Helena’s crimson blood-dress.

Defying the Pride Witch’s usual oppressive style, Cecile wore white adorned with golden stardust. A minor holy enchantment made her radiate sanctity as she walked.

Helena looked down, fascinated by her sailor uniform. Though not as liberating as her blood-dress, the snug fit felt comfortable. Especially since it matched her mother’s.

Cecile chose this because she knew no one truly recognized her. The Pride Witch was a total shut-in. In three hundred years, only the world’s strongest or recluses had seen her. Common depictions were wildly inaccurate. Her neglect meant the public feared their kings more than her. Frankly, even if she stood before the protagonist now, they wouldn’t recognize her.

Demon Hunt’s goal was to exterminate Witches and liberate the world. But they didn’t know what the seven ruling Witches looked like. Demon Hunt was just a symbol, a slogan.

Given that, could she turn the tables? Crushing Demon Hunt would spawn thousands more. As long as Witches existed, Demon Hunt would persist.

Cecile had a small idea. An organization with Demon Hunt’s ideals—opposing Witches—to counter them.

She would establish the Luminous Cathedral.