Cornflower Witch

Chapter 106 The Examination Concludes
Under the moonlight, the black hair that the girl had used to cover up slowly faded away, restoring her flawless silver-white long hair.

A few faint specks of light flickered in her hair, then fell around her, causing some of her wounds to heal slightly and greatly restoring her strength.

Hiltiya's breathing stabilized again.

At this moment, she slowly descended from mid-air, the two emerald green longswords in her hands also gleaming with a faint silver light, not dazzling, but exceptionally gentle.

Despite the mutated Iona's cloudy eyes, she still instinctively charged towards her.

However, this time, Hilti didn't dodge. Instead, she watched her opponent's movements intently, her fingers tightening around the sword hilt, and then—

A serene sword light flashed.
The sword blade, gleaming with a faint silver light, pierced directly through Iona's chest, drawing out streaks of black blood.

Then, an invisible silver light spread from the wound, continuously dispelling the [Twisted] aspect of Iona's body, causing the black and red blood streaks that spread throughout her body to fade slightly.

“It’s no use…” Iona finally regained some clarity and looked weakly at the night sky.

“It’s no use…” she repeated, unsure whether she was referring to Siltia’s behavior or herself.

Iona's body went limp, and she slowly knelt down, at which point Sylvia had to support her with one hand.

"I'm sorry." There was a hint of regret in her voice.

Iona shook her head slightly and said nothing more. She gradually became extremely weak, and the color in her face quickly faded.

"I'm sorry, Tia." She touched the girl's shoulder.

"I said some very harsh things to you."

"It's alright, Iona. Let's go down to the foot of the mountain. The teacher will figure something out there." Hiltiya prepared to help Iona down the mountain.

But Iona remained unresponsive, her body as heavy as mud.

“It’s no use. The twisted phase has already corroded my entire body. Now I’m just a shell.” Her voice grew weaker and weaker.

"I'm so sad... Am I going to die, Tia?" Her voice was broken.

In response, Hilti could only hug her tightly and soothe her back.

She couldn't bring herself to tell a white lie, so this was the only way she could accompany him during his final moments.

"I have no family or friends anymore, Tia."

"It's really so sad... I'm so afraid I'll lose. Losers are looked down upon and despised, and nobody likes them..."

“My father lost that war…I’ll never see him again.”

"Sorry……"

Iona's voice was so faint after that that the girl could no longer hear it.

After a long time, the figure in her arms slowly melted away, turning into black sludge and dissipating. This empty feeling left Hiltiya feeling lost and dejected.

She shook her silver hair behind her, slowly stood up, and gazed at the bright moon overhead.

The moonlight was flawless, yet some traces of scars still remained on the lunar disk.

The radiant moon, a clear and bright moon, is also a flawed moon that cannot hide its scars.

The clearer you see, the harder it is to find something perfect. Perhaps the moon shrouded in mist is the most beautiful.

It is precisely because it is so desirable yet unattainable that it remains unforgettable and becomes an obsession.

……

Afterwards, Hilti returned to the mountaintop. The warm campfire that had been burning just an hour ago was now only a few embers remaining, and the lantern that the two had fought over was now lying casually overturned in the grass like an ordinary stone, unnoticed by anyone.

Stepping forward, Hilti picked up the lantern, returned to the campfire, gathered the firewood, and gradually lit it.

The bright firelight illuminated her eyes. Gazing at the campfire, she recalled faces from her memories. Those once familiar people had gradually drifted away, disappearing without a trace.

Is it because they have a bad relationship? No, it's just that they've been apart for too long and can no longer see each other.

……

The next morning, Hilti awoke from the blanket by the campfire. The sun was already up, and she could hear faint, familiar footsteps.

Soon after, as she descended the mountain with her lantern, she encountered Mick and his companions.

Everyone was surprised and curious that Hilti's hair had turned into a gorgeous, pure silver, and they were also amazed by the lantern in her hand, inside which a blood-red demonic flower was quietly blooming.

"Tia, you got it!" Komia cheered with delight.

The others also offered their congratulations in surprise. Although they also wanted the Blood Flower, they were equally delighted to see that it was Hilti who had obtained it.

“It’s better than giving it to that Thorin guy.” Mick rested his head on his hand and walked ahead.

His swordsmanship was mostly improved under the guidance of Hilti, and he didn't find it strange that Hilti had obtained the Blood Flower.

It's perfectly normal for the strongest to take first place, especially since Hilti had already won before they arrived. This shows that the other party's strength far surpasses theirs, so it would be shameful to try and take it from them.

Since they hadn't had high hopes to begin with, the group wasn't disappointed. Instead, they were curious about how Sylvia had managed to snatch the victory from Iona.

"Did Tia see Iona?" Komia asked curiously.

"I saw her." Hiltiya held a lantern in one hand and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with the other, her voice tinged with regret.

"However, she is no longer here."

"Was he defeated by Tia and then ran away?" the group asked curiously.

“No.” Hilti shook her head, deciding to tell the truth since she couldn’t hide it for long anyway.

“I mean, Iona is dead.”

"Ah, this." A series of exciting scenes and ideas immediately flashed through their minds.

"Tia...you're amazing, so powerful." Komia's voice trembled slightly, but she was also excited.

"They were even willing to make the painful decision to kill that young lady," Mick added.

"As expected, Tia is very strong," Karen added.

"Ahem, what are you all thinking?" Hiltiya couldn't help but complain, wanting to continue explaining.

"Things have developed in a very complicated way, but that's the outcome." She began to worry that Viscount Xue Feng might hold a grudge against her when she returned.

……

On the other side, at the campsite at the foot of the mountain.

After waking up, Viscount Scheffer cleaned his face and walked out of the tent with Maester Hyde. They sat down on the wooden platform to wait, while the witch's carriage was parked not far away.

Birds occasionally flew by, and as the sun gradually rose higher, the witch slowly stepped out of the carriage. Her long black skirt, no longer as dangerous as it had been at night, now appeared somewhat peaceful under the sunlight.

"How did it go, Senior Melinda?" Bachelor Hyde couldn't help but ask for the first time.

“Oh, you’re in a hurry too, Hyde?” Melinda said, her fingers twitching slightly as she unfurled her black dress-style folding fan shortly after she sat down.

"The battle ended last night, and the final victor has emerged."

"So who won?" Viscount Xue Feng couldn't help but ask.

"I can only tell you that the girl with black hair lost," the witch replied maliciously.

(End of this chapter)