"Ahh! Finally found it!"
From afar at Kebento Factory, Remiel arrived on horseback, sighing. "Ugh, this map’s such a mess—completely unreadable!"
*I wonder how little Xia Xin and Xila are doing…* She nudged her horse closer. *Well, I left two safeguards on them. Should be fine… right?*
Suddenly, she froze.
A crushing pressure descended from the sky.
She looked up. The heavens had turned blood-red. A colossal fireball plummeted toward Kebento Factory.
"T-This…!" Remiel gasped. "A spell beyond *Forbidden* level? Who here could possibly cast something this powerful?!"
*Wait. Something’s off.*
*This isn’t… magic.*
She rubbed her eyes, refocusing.
*Right! No trace of magical energy at all!*
*So this is… a me-te-or-ite?! A literal meteor?!*
At this size, it wouldn’t just destroy Kebento Factory—it’d wipe out the entire Empire of Enpearl and neighboring city-states!
*But how?! Why now?! No one sensed it coming!*
"*Could it be… because of her?*" Remiel stood stunned. "*Xia Xin… the Calamity Witch. No wonder Tia insisted we watch her. Is she capable of something this terrifying…?*"
*No. Impossible. Just coincidence.*
If true, the Calamity Witch’s power would be beyond her comprehension—even beyond the gods the Church worshipped.
…
…
***BOOM!!!***
"*Damn it.*"
Xia Xin stared at the meteor hurtling toward her. Even her gentle demeanor cracked under the curse. *Who the hell plans for this?!*
*A meteor hundreds of meters wide is about to crush us. What now? SOS. URGENT.*
Above, Xila and the Ancient Demon Remnant still clashed, oblivious to the falling doom. Their battle showed no sign of ending.
*Stop fighting! You can’t kill each other like this!*
Scorching heat seared the air. Even the drug-addled factory workers sensed danger, fleeing wildly.
"What *is* that thing?!"
"Run! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
"Wait—that figure above… it’s the Calamity Witch!"
"*She* did this! Damn that witch!"
Xia Xin had long grown numb to such shouts.
Ignoring the meteor, the real threat was the Ancient Demon Remnant overhead. Xia Xin focused on it. Data flickered before her eyes:
***[Ancient Demon Remnant · Beast of Calamity | Lv.150]***
***[A primordial demon god. After eons of imprisonment, only a remnant remains—yet still overwhelmingly powerful in this era. Extreme magic/physical resistance. Devastating spells. Cannot sustain combat long.]***
***[Threat Level: Zero]***
*Lv.150?!*
Xia Xin blinked. The eroge’s level cap was supposedly 100. How did something break that limit?
But that "Zero" threat rating… *How?* Their clashing powers were already tearing the alchemy workshop apart.
***ROAR!***
***GRAHH!***
Xila and the beast unleashed magic simultaneously. Torrents of elemental energy swirled, about to collide.
*No! Useless!*
Even Xia Xin, a magic novice, saw it clearly: those spells wouldn’t scratch the Beast of Calamity. Xila would exhaust herself and get crushed.
*Must stop them!*
Xia Xin thrust out her hand, recalling the magic flow from before… *Easier this time. More control.* She released it all—
—the lowest-level *Fireball Spell*.
***BOOM!!!***
A spiraling pillar of flame erupted, forcing both combatants back. Their attention snapped downward.
"*Witch Miss!*" Xila’s face lit with relief. She dove earthward, her black wings vanishing. *Of course she’s alive! Why did I even worry?!*
"*Mo… nv…*" The beast rasped. "*Zai… e… mo… nv…*"
*Is it saying… "Calamity Witch"?*
"Same kind! HAHA!" A manic laugh cut through the chaos. Kreuz shouted, ecstatic. "The Calamity Witch and an ancient demon god—both bringers of calamity! *Same kind of existence!*"
"*That’s* why your blood shattered its seal, Calamity Witch! I see your plan now!"
*What BS setup is this?! And why are you still alive?!* Xia Xin ignored him, yelling: "Xila! Forget the Beast! Its stamina’s fading! Run before the meteor hits!"
"Meteor?!" Xila paled at the sky. "*W-W-Witch Miss! What do we do?!*"
*What do you think? RUN!*
***ROAR!***
The Beast lunged again—but Xia Xin didn’t flinch. Another figure now loomed behind it.
***CRASH!***
A giant crucifix slammed down, hurling the Beast aside. Saint Lemil landed heavily, her voice urgent: "Sorry I’m late. Run. You still have time."
"*Time?*" Xia Xin thought dryly. "*I’d rather not wait here to die.*" Aloud: "Aren’t *you* running?"
"I’ll follow shortly." Remiel gazed upward, smiling. "First, I shatter that rock. Or it’ll bury Enpearl and thousands of homes."
"After all… I *am* a Holy Maiden."
