You think you're worthy of saving the world?

"of course."

"Then... then I won't be polite."

"Crimson Witch" stared at the straw that her master had just sucked on, swallowing her saliva repeatedly.

"hurry up."

"Ah, yes!" She quickly took a sip, leaving a bright red lipstick mark on the straw.

"What's the situation with the Vatican?" Yuri asked.

“The Church seems determined to play dead…and vehemently deny the existence of magic,” Crimson replied.

"I see... The 'Ash Maiden' hasn't taken any action either?"

After Yuri asked this question, "Crimson Witch" shook her head: "Although the Elf Princess sent out several more letters afterward, there was no response from them."

So even the legendary saintess is blindly obedient to the church, isn't she? Since they're going to bury their heads in the sand, the saintess will too…

"That's hard to say."

Yuri smiled slightly: "I've already handed over the Saintess's matter to the 'Lamp Witch'."

"Is it alright to hand it over to her?"

The only objection the "Crimson Witch" had was to Yuri's decision to free the "Lantern Witch" from the dungeon.

Last night, Yuri went into the cell and talked to her for a long time.

What exactly did they talk about? Even Yan Hong, their confidante, was not told.

But one thing is certain: the "Lantern Witch" has gained Yuri's trust.

The boy observed the blonde beauty's reaction and asked, "Are you jealous?"

"No, no, that's not true! How could I dare!... Waaah."

The Crimson Witch lowered her burning cheeks and nodded gently: "A little bit."

"Hehe, you honest and good child. Let's go now, I'll give you a reward after everything is over."

"Yes."

"Crimson Witch" picked up her luggage and happily followed Yuri into the hotel.

……

……

……

It started to drizzle at night.

After managing to fool Cynthia, Tia quietly left the residence alone.

Tonight she was still wearing her usual emerald green military uniform, but with a black cloak over it.

Tia covered half of her face with a mask she had bought at the gift shop during the day, then covered her conspicuous elf ears with the hood of her cloak, and finally hung two longswords ostentatiously at her waist.

In order to find the murderer as quickly as possible, she ostentatiously enveloped her body in a thin layer of spiritual energy, so much so that passersby couldn't help but turn around and glance at her as they brushed past her.

The girl exuded a chilling aura; anyone who didn't know better would think she was about to kill someone.

This would make them an easy target for the murderer.

With the tournament about to begin, the town streets remained bustling with activity even at night, immersed in a festive atmosphere.

Locals and tourists drank and chatted on the street, paying no attention to the recent series of murders that had been quietly unfolding.

Seeing the smiles on their faces, Tia felt an even stronger sense of responsibility and vowed to find the murderer so that the conference could proceed smoothly.

At this moment——

Tia stopped and shook her elven pointed ears.

I think I heard a sound.

Elves have very keen hearing, and their long, pointed ears are not just for decoration.

In stark contrast to the peaceful nighttime bustle of the streets, there was the cold, sharp clang of swords clashing against each other.

"Someone is fighting! There's no doubt it's the murderer; he's shown himself!"

We must hurry! We have to get there before any new victims appear!

Tia jumped onto the roof of a house, crouched down, and began to search intently for the source of the sound.

Once she calmed down, all the surrounding noise seemed to be blocked out, and only the sound of clashing swords became clear.

"found it!"

Tia stood up, looked southeast, and without hesitation, took off running.

Following the source of the sound, the elven girl leaped and darted across the rooftops of houses, soon arriving at the depths of an alley.

The alley was pitch black, but Tia was still able to spot the two dark figures fighting thanks to her excellent night vision.

Both sides were dressed in black.

One of them was a boy dressed in a black robe and wearing a hood, while the other was a young man dressed in the same black robe and wearing a mask.

The two fought fiercely, their swords clashing and sparks illuminating the dark alleyway.

"Woo..."

Although Tia really wanted to rush over and stop the murderer from continuing his evil deeds, but... who was the murderer?

If she were to shout out suddenly, the prisoner might escape... Tia had suffered a lot in the past because of her impulsiveness.

She pursed her lips, concealed her presence, and hid herself in the shadows of the building, observing the private duel from the side.

The masked youth was wielding a longsword.

Just from the sharp movements and intense aura he exuded when wielding his sword, one could tell how much hard work he had put into swordsmanship.

There should be a fourth rank? That's quite strong compared to other contestants in this tournament.

The boy confronting him wielded a strange and ominous sword.

The blade was shrouded in red mist, making it impossible to discern the weapon's exact shape. Judging from the way it was swung, it didn't resemble a sword but rather a knife.

"...!"

It was only then that Tia realized that their duel was not evenly matched at all, but rather a completely one-sided affair.

To an outsider, the youth's presence would seem far more imposing than that of a teenager.

His strikes were swift and fierce, seemingly carrying an overwhelming force, leaving his opponent in a very difficult position just trying to parry.

However, Tia saw a completely different picture.

For the past two weeks, she has been receiving swordsmanship instruction from Rosalia, and her skills in all aspects, including her eyesight, have improved significantly.

Unlike the violent slashes, the black-robed youth's movements were both fluid and swift, giving the impression of ease and still having room for maneuver.

The sword blade drew beautiful streaks of crimson light in the air, gently grazing the masked man's arms, wrists, and shoulders, leaving shallow wounds.

The young man wielding the crimson mist sword moved with graceful and fluid movements, while the masked youth was already panting heavily.

Even though this black-robed youth didn't seem particularly strong, why did he so deeply impress Tia, making it impossible for her to look away from his swordsmanship?

After much thought, the fairy princess found the answer—

The boy did not use any spiritual power from beginning to end.

Without using anything else, he suppressed the fourth-rank swordsman simply by relying on his swordsmanship.

Is this even possible?

As a fifth-ranking individual, Tia knew in her heart that she absolutely could not do it.

The enemy was an adult male who had an advantage in height, wingspan, and strength.

If the opponent uses spiritual power and you don't, it's no different from throwing your life away!

So strong...!

And what a twisted sense of humor...

Tia understood the black-robed youth's intention: he was using this method to humiliate his opponent—your martial arts skills are nothing but a pile of shit!

A close look at the masked man's expression reveals that he has descended into madness.

Driven to impotent rage by the humiliation, he relentlessly drained his spiritual energy and swung his heavy sword, yet he couldn't even touch the boy's clothes, and his body only suffered more wounds.

In the blink of an eye, the masked man's black clothes were torn open with countless rips, and his entire body was soaked in blood.

"Oh no! He's completely engrossed! We have to go help him right away!"

Tia snapped out of her daze.

It's already confirmed—

There's no mistake, that black-robed youth must be the murderer who committed ten murders in a row!

That superb swordsmanship!

That twisted fighting style!

And that crimson blade that exudes an ominous aura!

He has such outstanding swordsmanship, yet he uses it for evil purposes. It is unforgivable... I must stop him!

By the time Tia rushed toward the two fighting figures, it was too late.

"No...no...I give up! Don't kill me!"

The young man shouted hastily.

However, the boy ignored his pleas for mercy and swung his blade without hesitation.

"stop--!!!"

Tia's shout shattered the silence of the night, but it couldn't stop the Crimson Blade from slaying the enemy.

As the masked man fell forward, spurting a large amount of blood from his neck, the black-robed youth jumped back two steps, leaving only a trace of blood on his shoes.

"...?"