Chapter 23: Crimson Peril on the Table

“You… you are the Scarlet Witch?!”

For Gelra, the only clear memory that the reincarnated former Sword Immortal Xinghui had of her was that she had died under this terrifying witch’s scythe—
The witch whose presence alone made the skies turn dark and mountains tremble.

And later…
She was made into a vanilla red velvet meat cake…

That was what the Goddess told her afterward.
Xinghui was glad that she died quickly, so she didn’t have to witness the part where her body was eaten.

For that, the Goddess had even unusually granted her an epic-quality achievement titled “Encounter with Hannibal.”

What a horrifying lunatic witch…
My plan in the last life—to slay the witch as the world’s strongest warrior—had failed miserably.
Then the entire Kuha Universe erupted into an XK-class apocalypse,
One-third of the universe plunged into 【Hell】…

Fortunately, the Goddess was merciful enough to grant her a second chance at life.
Though, rather than a tale of divine benevolence, it was more accurate to say Xinghui had begged and flattered her way through.

In short, Xinghui had restarted her life.
As her soul reentered the present world, the Goddess gave her a mission:
To defeat the final witch—the Viridescent Witch.

The Goddess didn’t explain much, only saying something like:
“I’m not going to spoil that woman’s reason to blame me, and riddles bore the audience anyway.
Just go do it, or the world will be utterly destroyed by the uncontrollable Viridescent Witch, understand?”

No, I don’t understand.
I’m just a useless high school girl whose soul was picked up by the Goddess after getting hit by a car while trying to save a little girl…
How did I get tangled up in some Sword Immortal world-saving quest?
This kind of plot is obviously reserved for the protagonist of a fantasy novel!

Except…
Xinghui wasn’t some blue star human from a novel.
She was a native of the Kuha Universe.

In other words…
It’s literally me saving my own world.

Suddenly, things seemed really important.
I instantly became a big-shot savior with enormous responsibility!
There’s no way I could act like it’s none of my business.

All I need to do is follow the Goddess’s mission tip—
Defeat the Viridescent Witch—
And stop the apocalypse from happening.

But why is that terrifying Scarlet Witch still alive?!
I’m dead for sure now.

“Crying out loud so easily?
Do you want everyone around to know our identity?”

Gelra lightly snapped her fingers.
Instantly, the surrounding world dimmed, as though its colors were wiped away.
Only Xinghui and the elegantly suited, top-hat-wearing Gelra remained brightly colored.

【Cognitive Disruption】

This wasn’t unfamiliar magic to Xinghui.
During battles between the Ranger Association and the Monster Association in large cities, they frequently used cognitive disruption.

Its purpose:
To make bystanders perceive the combatants’ fights as friendly interactions,
Preventing innocent civilians from getting involved.

Using a disruption field before each fight had become a consensus between these two sworn rivals.

Only…
She never expected an apocalyptic witch to observe such… martial ethics.

“You even remember my old name from 16 years ago, Miss Sword Immortal.”

“You… you must be here to kill me…
Let me tell you…
Human nobility is courage’s…”

But I don’t want to die at all.
Instinctive fear of death made Xinghui plop onto the ground.

Gelra looked at the trembling former Sword Immortal before her with a playful grin.
Though terrified, Xinghui still made ridiculous gestures to boost her own courage.

“My dear Sword Immortal,
If I wanted to kill you—”

A strange shadow covered Gelra’s pale face.
Her crimson, round eyes glowed menacingly like a bottomless hell.
Her smile twisted unnaturally toward her ears.

“I would have done it [long ago].”

It sounded like mockery,
Like the hopeless game of a predator toying with its prey.

“Let me tell you my true feelings~
I’ve already killed you once;
The second time won’t be anything new.”

Coming from Gelra—who made lying seem as casual as drawing water from a river—
That sentence lacked all credibility.

In the last life,
She had literally made Xinghui into a red velvet cake…

“Y-You you you…”

“Your flavor is exquisite.
I’m sure my little patchouli would love it.
Well, unfortunately, it’s not my turn to kill you this life,
So what a pity.”

At this moment, Wilf mistook Gelra for a famous television host due to the cognitive disruption.
In Wilf’s eyes, Xinghui sitting on the ground, frightened, was merely thrilled to meet her idol.

“Oh, almost forgot—my current identity is a TV host.
Since this is a show, I have a fun idea.”

Seemingly inspired, Gelra’s black tentacles—twisting and writhing like octopus arms—
Broke through the ground in disorder, forming the shapes of tables and chairs.

“Sword Immortal, let’s play a little game.
You seem to enjoy arithmetic?”

“Let’s play a round of vingt-et-un.
If you win, I won’t take my dear sister back.
If you lose… eh, I must think of a proper punishment.”

“W-What the heck?”
Illiterate Xinghui was utterly confused.

“Twenty-one points.
You really should study foreign languages more.”

Gelra elegantly leapt and sat in the chair.
She casually toyed with her bangs,
Her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Xinghui had played cards with a few friends in the Association when she had a bit of money.
But with her brain this dumb, she always played by instinct and lost most of the time.
And she had never played this variant before.

Yet this time, losing meant her life…

“You look so clueless.
Do you want me to explain the rules for you?”

“No need.
I’m smarter than you think.”

Beneath the confident words was absolute cluelessness.
Is the goal to exceed 21 with the cards?

“Sister Xinghui, it’s about drawing cards and adding numbers without exceeding 21…
Anyway, good luck!”

Wilf’s words gave Xinghui a tiny bit of comfort.
But only a tiny bit.

Even if Xinghui begged for help now,
No one outside could perceive it due to the cognitive disruption.
Gelra’s magic was just that absurdly powerful.
And Xinghui couldn’t break through the barrier.

For Lingling Lan,
For her own life,
She had no choice but to play along.

“Oh wait, just this kind of game?
Doesn’t feel thrilling enough.”

Before Xinghui could react,
Two inverted swords, sharp enough to cut hair and stained with blood,
Appeared half a meter above their heads.

Blood dripped onto the pure white tablecloth,
Adding a certain “liveliness” to this cold, serious game.

“The Sword of Damocles…”

“My dear Sword Immortal,
That’s absolutely correct.
If you don’t act fast, you’ll lose your life [at any moment].”

A game where she had to think and be forced to accelerate at the same time…
It was nothing short of a bloody marathon…