Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

Xiangzi pursed his lips.

"Why the Virgin Mary? Even Mary isn't included in the Protestant doctrine of the Holy Trinity, is she?"

“Mary’s church is not Protestant in the traditional sense, but rather the ‘Holy Church’ that believes that the Virgin Mary is both a saint and God. She said that this is a branch that emerged during the feminist movement in the last century.”

Hai Ling clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and her usually calm face was on the verge of breaking.

There's no reason left to defend her...

Because everything is settled.

A figure walked onto the altar.

Mari Ono.

She was dressed in a magical girl nun's habit, holding the greatsword that had been held to Nyanmu's neck in her left hand and a staff longer than the greatsword in her right hand. She walked up to the altar and stood in front of the cross.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's she doing here?"

Miao Meng broke out in a cold sweat instantly.

"I didn't see her this afternoon; this step was done by the other familiars..."

Mary picked up the greatsword and joined the staff and hilt together to form a five-meter-long spear.

“Praise be to the Virgin Mary!”

The familiars' songs grew even louder.

Mary closed her eyes and sang along with them.

Gradually, Mary began to take the lead in the singing, guiding Ave Maria toward another song.

"Hey, hey, hey, there's no such procedure this afternoon."

Miao Meng was drenched in sweat.

"It will never change~ Until the end of time~ Let us be friends for life~"

The song learned from the orphanage replaced Ave Maria and became the main theme in the bloody anthill.

As Mary sang, she raised a giant spear and hurled it at the witch on the cross.

Shine——

The spear pierced through the witch's body.

A tear rolled down the mask of compassion.

The witch's body shattered into pieces, and a seed of lamentation fell into the center of the altar.

"At this moment, we bid each other farewell. Until the day we meet again, let us always trust each other and cherish every joy in our hearts."

The singing didn't stop.

Hai Ling stood up, her clothes now transformed into a dashing samurai outfit. She drew her katana from her waist, the veins on her hand gripping the hilt bulging like a swimming dragon.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Meow Dream changed from a prone position to a half-kneeling position, grabbing Hailin's wrist. "Are you crazy?! With so many familiars and a magical girl who's lived as long as you, you're going to rush down now?"

"I consider myself a wanderer, a person without a home, which is why I wander around."

Hailing lowered her head and spoke softly.

"I thought Mary was the kind of person who could give someone a sense of belonging, so I wanted to help her, even if it meant selling my body to you..."

"Unfortunately, you've finally discovered it now."

"I think differently than you do."

The singing stopped.

The barrier suddenly became so quiet that only the sound of flesh and blood writhing could be heard.

Mary looked up and met the gaze of the sea bells above her.

She smiled gently.

The familiars all raised their heads in unison, thousands of eyes focused on them.

"I'm sorry, Hailing, please go to hell."

The Tale of Nirvana: Staying True to My Heart: Chapter 89 - My Butt Is Gone!

The moment Mary turned her gaze toward them, Chu Hua also transformed and stood in front of Xiangzi.

The soldier ants left the sacrificial procession and formed their own group, crawling along the wall towards where Xiangzi and the others were.

"Wow! We've been spotted!"

Miaomeng teleported behind Hailing, sticking her butt out high like an ostrich.

"I knew there was something seriously wrong with the unexpected person appearing!"

"Can't you be reliable just this once?!" Xiangzi grabbed Miaomeng by the back of her collar and pulled her up.

"How should I know! It was an accident!" Meow Dream shouted. "Why didn't you say that accidents always happen when you're around?!"

"This was an accident?!" Xiangzi pointed downwards. "She clearly knew someone was coming. Isn't this a trap?!"

"The entire Kabukicho district is her territory, isn't it perfectly normal for her to know that?!"

"So you're leading us straight into a fire pit?"

"What else can we do? Not come? Run far away? Do you think Hai Zi would give up just because he heard the words 'Kabukicho'?!"

"..."

Xiangzi let go of his hand and rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Miaomeng was absolutely right. No matter what, as long as Hailing started the investigation, they would eventually come here.

After arriving, they had no choice but to enter in order to kill the master of the barrier.

They... to be precise, Hailing, were already trapped by Mary from the very beginning.

Hailing looks like she's about to jump down and fight Mary to the death.

"Mary!"

It seems she really intends to do that.

This was the first time Xiangzi had seen an expression on Hailing's face, and it was a ferocious face that was almost bloodthirsty. Her blue eyes, like those of a lion with its mane standing on end, were staring intently at Ono Mari below.

With a flash of light, several soldier ants that had crawled up were shredded by Hailing. The calf muscles under her tight pants contracted forcefully, like springs accumulating power.

“Hailin.” Xiangzi grabbed Hailing’s shoulder.

"You all go, I'll cover the rear."

Hailing's voice turned cold.

Although her tone of voice was usually flat before, it was completely devoid of emotion now, just like her expression – this was the first time I'd ever heard it like this.

Even though they had only known each other for a day, Xiangzi felt that Hailing was not the type of person who would show such an expression before.

"What do you mean, 'last'?"

Xiangzi grabbed Hailing's coat and glared back with eyes no less fierce than those hideous blue eyes.

"You're willing to sell your life to me? If you cover our retreat, wouldn't I be doing you a free job?!"

Mary, whose strength is no less than that of Hailin, and a whole nest of familiars, while they only have Hailin and Chuhua as their fighting force. Miaomeng can be half a person, but Xiangzi has to be -1.5 people. This battle is completely not cost-effective.

Hailing instantly understood, and her lion-like eyes instantly cooled down.

She nodded.

"Meow Dream, you cover the rear, we're retreating!" Xiangzi turned and ran.

Miao Meng tore open the body of one of the familiars with her bladed whip, ducked to avoid the shield thrown by Chu Hua, and the shield struck another familiar that was lunging at her from behind.

"ha----------?!"

Chu Hua caught the shield that bounced back and turned to follow Xiangzi.

Suddenly, there was no one beside Miaomeng.

"No way?!?!"

======

It was said that Miaomeng would come to the rear, but given Xiangzi's physical strength, in the end, the person they would have to take care of was Xiangzi.

The whip was difficult to use effectively in the narrow passage, so Miaomeng simply turned the bladed whip into a cane. Relying on her regenerative abilities, she simply stopped dodging most attacks that did not affect her movement.

Several times, the soldier ants' mandibles severed half of its neck, but it was reattached before it could fall off.

Miaomeng quickly caught up, fighting as she retreated, until she was almost side by side with Xiangzi, where she helped her block the pursuers behind her.

"Hey, do you want me to carry you?"

"Ha...ha...亿零〡依崎罒「屋（九？）丝（九）「捌？..."

Xiangzi's lungs were pounding like bellows.

Even with all their might, they could only barely keep up with Chu Hua and the others, and that was only after Chu Hua deliberately slowed down.

She really wanted to say that she would come herself.

But now is clearly not the time to be reckless.

Xiangzi nodded.

Miao Meng immediately bent down, hooked her arm around Xiangzi's leg, and lifted him up in a princess carry.

With no one guarding her from behind, Chu Hua immediately slowed down and moved behind them. There were still familiars blocking her way from the front. She and Hai Ling had just managed to cut a path through the front, but now that Chu Hua had retreated to the back, the pace slowed down considerably.

Chu Hua's Hundred Forms technique was not fully utilized in the confined space. Her most familiar tail and wings could not be fully extended, and she could only desperately hack and slash with the most basic sword and shield.

Xiangzi took a few breaths in Miaomeng's arms.

“No, this speed is too slow,” she said.

"So what else do you want, boss? Carrying you like a burden... Sigh, you're the boss, I'm not saying anything!"

Miao Meng didn't have time to zip up her mouth, so she could only purse her lips, widen her eyes, and stride forward with all her might.

"Put me down in one minute, then you and Chu Hua can switch places."

"to make!"

"Is everything alright, Xiao Xiang?"

"No problem...cough cough..."

Xiangzi coughed twice, and a bloody taste rose in his throat.

"Even if there are problems, there must be no problems."

1001, 1002, 1003, 1004...

Silently counting the seconds, Xiangzi immediately tumbled off Miaomeng's arms as soon as sixty seconds were up. Using the momentum of Miaomeng's running, he gripped the ground with his feet the moment he landed, regained his balance, and took a second step to increase his speed.

Chu Hua immediately switched places with Miao Meng and moved to the front of the group.

The pace of progress quickened again.

Soon, we will see the exit of the barrier.

Xiangzi thought.

The stench of the anthill was even worse than that of the entrance outside, but she actually got used to it after staying inside for a while.

Xiangzi suddenly missed the feeling of fresh air.

Hailing and Chuhua rushed out of the barrier first. Hailing held onto the cave that was desperately trying to close, while Chuhua reached out her hand to Miaomeng.

"Meow Dream! Grab Xiao Xiang and give me the whip!"

Miaomeng swiftly hoisted Xiangzi onto her shoulder and lashed out with her long whip.

Xiangzi's stomach slammed against Miaomeng's shoulder blades again and again in rhythm with Miaomeng's steps, and he swallowed his curses.

Just like that day when she grabbed Miaomeng's whip in the Nirvana barrier, Chu Hua grasped one end of the long whip and pulled it sharply in her direction. However, last time it was to subdue Miaomeng, and this time it was to save her and Xiangzi's lives.

Xiangzi briefly felt himself flying in mid-air.