Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

Xiangzi and his companions fled the cathedral and the holy city.

As they gradually moved away from the devastating sounds of battle within the Holy City, Xiangzi and his companions were finally able to slow down a bit and catch their breath.

“There are many trees here, and the kingdom has set traps, making it difficult for the imperial army to catch up,” Mu said.

The kingdom's outskirts are surrounded by an ancient forest, each tree reaching tens of meters in height, too large for a dozen people to encircle. In such a place, the kingdom can set up numerous undetectable traps and ambush troops, using the superior height to attack from below, making it impossible for the imperial army to advance.

For hundreds of years, kingdoms with territories less than a third of the empire were able to survive precisely because of their advantageous terrain, repeatedly repelling imperial invasions.

Unfortunately, the empire has now descended from the sky, rendering their defenses useless. In fact, because the garrison was on the outside, the Holy City's defenses were left weak during the empire's surprise attack.

Mu traveled through mountains and rivers, and figured out the layout of the traps and guards in the surrounding area. With her leading the way, she didn't have to worry about encountering the kingdom's army.

"Let's rest for a bit," Xiangzi said, leaning on his cane and catching his breath.

"Xiang, is this real?" Mu asked, looking at the scepter in Xiangzi's hand.

Xiangzi shook his head.

"We'll only know if we find the Rainbow Bridge door and see if we can use it to open it."

Want your wish to come true? Just pay the price...

As soon as the thought of "finding the Rainbow Bridge Gate" popped into her mind, she heard a phantom voice trying to induce her to make a wish.

"Uh, no need to try." Xiangzi twitched the corner of his mouth. "This is definitely real."

It turns out that without the seal and without Xiao Su Shi by her side, the influence of the Holy Grail fragments would be so great; even a very ordinary thought could trigger the fragments' voice.

"...Then this trip wasn't a complete waste." Chu Hua wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and smiled.

The blow from the wolf knight was quite severe; even an ordinary magical girl would be temporarily incapacitated, but it wasn't a big problem for Chu Hua. She was already quite resilient, and becoming a familiar made her even more so.

"Well, at least the trip wasn't a complete waste." Xiangzi breathed a sigh of relief. "It's almost time to gather. Next, let's find the nearest Rainbow Bridge gate and head back to the starting point."

“Actually, I’ve always wanted to ask this,” Chu Hua said, walking beside her. “The Empire can use the Rainbow Bridge Gate too. Wouldn’t it be dangerous for us to use it like this?”

"There are definitely risks, but this is the fastest way." Xiangzi gripped the scepter tightly. "As long as we're faster than the Empire, there won't be any problems..."

Want your wish to come true? Just pay the price...

“...It’s so noisy.” Xiangzi rubbed his forehead and sighed deeply. “I have to get back to Su Shi’s side as soon as possible.”

"Haha." Chu Hua shrugged and smiled helplessly.

She heard that sound too.

"But how do we find the Rainbow Bridge Gate... There's not much time left before the rendezvous time. If we're a step behind the Empire... we might have to head straight for the Greedy World."

Xiangzi smacked his lips.

"Hopefully the other plans will go more smoothly..."

Just then, a buzzing sound came from the sky.

The three of them looked up, and a shadow that blocked out the sunlight appeared overhead. The dark shadow flew over them as if the sky were about to collapse, making it hard to breathe.

The shadow disappeared in no time.

“That is…” Mu raised his head and murmured, “Sky City, huh.”

Such fast flight speed.

"broken."

Xiangzi said.

"They're really going to beat us to it this time."

The Lost Tale: The Lost Child - Chapter 388 The Battle at the Door

The speed of Sky City's flight exceeded Xiangzi's imagination.

"...Such speed." Xiangzi lowered his head. "I guess it won't be long before we return to the World of Desire. There are only a few Rainbow Bridge Gates in total. They might actually be lying in wait for us."

If you think about it carefully, the empire had already arrived above the kingdom's holy city by the time she stayed in the sky. This speed of flight is normal, but Xiangzi had subconsciously overlooked this point before.

If the Empire had returned to the World of Desire first, the faces of the three women would have been clearly seen during the battle with the Regent.

If the Empire were to investigate with all its might, by the time they leisurely find the Rainbow Bridge Gate and return to their starting point, they would likely be met with layers upon layers of Imperial soldiers waiting for them behind the gate.

"What should I do?" Xiangzi hadn't expected to be stumped by this problem, and he rubbed his temples in frustration.

If you were to walk directly from the World of Lust to the World of Greed, it wouldn't be walking. But... if Lixi completes her mission and returns to the gate to wait for them, she will encounter the Empire.

The starting point wasn't just Li Xi Hailing; it also included Xiao Su Shi, Aine, Yan Ke, and Lin Hai. To be attacked by the Empire without their knowledge would have unimaginable consequences.

What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?

Trying to figure it out here is just a waste of time. What should I do? What should I do? What should I do...?

Xiangzi felt anxious for the first time in a long time, and his head felt like it was on fire.

Want your wish to come true? Just pay the price...

The noisy sound of the Holy Grail fragments echoed in Xiangzi's mind again and again, driving him to the point where he wanted to die.

Hey.

Uh... wait a minute.

Want your wish to come true? Just pay the price...

Will we pay a price to achieve our desires?

Xiangzi blinked, and suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment.

"This thing may be a bit controversial, but it might actually be useful," she said, weighing the scepter in her hand.

These words were truly astonishing.

Chu Hua's harmonious expression froze.

"Xiao Xiang, you wouldn't want to..."

"Yes, that's right." Xiangzi nodded, confirming Chuhua's guess.

"Xiang, this is too risky."

Both Mu and Chuhua could see what Xiangzi wanted to do.

She wanted to make a wish upon the Holy Grail to find the Rainbow Bridge.

Faced with his companion's doubts, Xiangzi simply shook his head and said:

"There's no risk involved. The principle of 'spellcasting' is ultimately about making a wish upon a fragment of the Holy Grail. So all I need to do is pay a clear price and make a clear request, and the fragment of the Holy Grail won't be able to distort my wish."

She had done similar things before.

Wishing for a location from a Grail shard is far less effective than wishing for the Soul Stone to be restored in half an hour.

The kingdom had done the same; they paid a high price to make a wish on a fragment, sealing the scepter in Xiangzi's hand. (Although Xiangzi was unaware of this, her idea was indeed feasible.)

This practice was referred to as "forbidden art" by kingdoms and empires.

no problem.

Xiangzi gripped the scepter.

“I want to know the location of the nearest Rainbow Bridge gate,” she said, covering one eye. “I’ll trade you my eye.”

"Wait, Xiao Xiang?!"

Pfft!

"Uh!"

As soon as he finished speaking, blood gushed from the eye that Xiangzi was covering, and bright red blood flowed down between his fingers.

"Xiang—"

How could you do something so reckless!

"It's just one eye, it'll heal on its own in a few days..." Xiangzi covered his eye, catching his breath. "Help me take the bandage out of my pouch..."

"You could even let me make a wish, sigh." Chu Hua obediently took out the bandage and wrapped it around her empty eye socket. "Even if nothing's wrong, it still breaks my heart to see her like this..."

"Honestly, you never seem to change your ways," Chu Hua whispered in Xiangzi's ear like a complaining woman. "Tell me, where is the Rainbow Bridge gate?"

With his remaining eye, Xiangzi pointed into the depths of the forest.

=======

"It's over there."

Xiangzi said.

Thanks to the information that Xiangzi obtained at the cost of one of his eyes, they found the Rainbow Bridge Gate in no time.

The Rainbow Bridge to the world of desire is hidden deep within a dilapidated church of goddesses. The door panels are covered with all sorts of green plants, and the entire door blends perfectly with the forest. If you don't look carefully, you won't be able to find it at all.

Fortunately... we made it in time.

Xiangzi gripped the scepter tightly and walked to the front of the door.

"Heimdallr star vedBifrost, vennligst apne dora for meg."

There's only a short time left before the agreed opening time; going now would be perfect...

"Traitor, we've found you!"

Suddenly the forest came to life.

Her right arm and even half of her face had been transformed into vines that attacked her; it was the former magical girl, Yashiki Nene, whom Shoko had met before.

She had probably been lying in wait here for some time, and finally caught up with Xiangzi, who was preparing to use the Rainbow Bridge Gate. Under her control, the surrounding trees transformed into tree-man-like monsters, falling towards Xiangzi and his companions.

Offering: The heart of the Treant

Power: S, Attribute: Poison, Uses: D, Duration: C, Rarity: A

Hearts obtained from strange beings associated with trees can be used as offerings to summon tree demons, which resemble monsters. These strange beings are not limited to humans who have been transformed into monsters; through the kingdom's relentless research, a method has finally been found to transform ordinary humans into "monsters" as well.

It's a spell that releases a gas that ordinary people breathe into their lungs through their mouths and noses. The gas crystallizes in their bodies, silently transforming them into incomplete monsters. At this point, all that's needed is to use their hearts as offerings to perform the spell that creates demons.

The sound of the cathedral bells echoed the same spell Ningning was using. The residents of the holy city, who actually lived in a high concentration of this gas every day, had long since become "offerings for the spell."

Ningning, the one who cast the spell, was unaware that the offerings she used were made using such brutal methods.

She obtained precious offerings from the kingdom and wreaked havoc throughout the world of desire, all in the beginning, simply to find a way to kill the witch.

At that time, these people did not yet have the name "Saint-Shuary".

When did it become "Sanctuary"?

How was I saved by that person?

The Tale of the Lost: The Lost Child: Chapter 389 Forbidden Technique - Salamander (Two Chapters Combined)

Magical girls' magic originates from their wishes; whatever the wish, that kind of magic will be born.

Xiangzi's magic is "reproduction," stemming from her desire to relive the time when her mother was still alive. Miaomeng's magic is "super-regeneration," or rather, "value appreciation," stemming from her desire for lots and lots of money.

The magical girl named Yashiki Nene is no exception; her magic is "growth," allowing her to manipulate and control the growth of plants at will.

The girl with short gray hair was covered in emerald green vines, starting from the fingertips of her right arm and extending to a quarter of her right cheek.

This is the product of her magic and barrier combination.

Now, she is not just a magical girl, but also a spellcaster who can fight using offerings.

Therefore, the "Tree Demons," who are essentially trees, can also be controlled and enhanced by Ningning's magic, and even this entire forest can be mastered by her magic.

The reason for mentioning her magic "regeneration" is that Xiangzi is currently being chased by the entire forest.

"We're all magical girls, right? Why are we killing each other here?!" Xiangzi questioned as she fled among the trees.

"Useless, useless, useless! My eyes are everywhere in this forest; you cannot escape my sight!"

Ningning stood at the top of the door, directing the vines hanging from the ancient tree and several tree demons summoned with offerings.

She didn't listen to Xiangzi at all.

"I've heard there's internal division within St. John's. Are you listening to Gross or the Kingdom?!"