Chapter 123: Josuna Is Still Chasing Me

The streets of Brest were still bustling with noise. Vendors loudly hawked their goods, hurried pedestrians rushed along, and sunlight spilled across the stone roads, casting a warm glow. Everything looked peaceful and calm.

No one would associate this lively city with the human–beast border.

No one knew that over the past two months, attacks here had become increasingly frequent.

Yet the citizens of Brest seemed completely unaware, continuing their daily lives as usual.

Run?

Where could they even run to?

Besides, the nobles still lived comfortably in their luxurious estates. Since those well-informed elites hadn’t fled, ordinary people suppressed their unease and continued playing their roles.

The entire city was like an old but still functioning machine—

Everyone a gear that couldn’t stop turning.

Following fixed paths, living for daily necessities, for that small but essential meaning that kept them going.

Peretti pushed open a heavy wooden door. It creaked softly.

The juice shop wasn’t large, and the lighting was dim. A single clerk stood behind the counter, quietly polishing a glass.

“Hello, what would you like?” the clerk asked in a gentle voice, carrying a local accent.

“Do you have orange juice?” Peretti’s tone carried a faint trace of anticipation.

Ever since becoming a witch, the flow of elemental power within her had taken away many ordinary taste experiences. She could barely remember the sweet-sour richness of oranges.

Now that she had a rare chance to relax in a human city—

She didn’t want to miss it.

“Yes, please wait a moment.”

The clerk nodded and turned to the fruit rack, skillfully picking up an orange.

While waiting, Peretti’s nerves unconsciously tightened. Her gaze swept across every corner of the shop.

The walls were peeling with age, revealing dull bricks beneath. Fresh fruits were neatly arranged in a glass case, vibrant in color. The juicing tools nearby were polished clean, and the clerk’s movements were practiced—clearly someone who had worked here for a long time.

It seemed… normal.

Peretti let out a quiet breath.

Maybe she was just being overly cautious.

Before entering, she had felt a faint unease—as if this ordinary shop might be a trap set by Josuna.

But thinking about it—

Her information had only just been sent out.

Even Josuna couldn’t possibly have prepared a trap this quickly, right?

And before entering, she had even asked an old flower-selling woman nearby. This shop had been open for two years—a familiar place to locals.

Even if Josuna could predict her movements—

She couldn’t have planted a setup two years in advance.

Peretti curled her lips in self-mockery.

If Josuna really had that kind of ability—

Then losing here would at least be fair.

With nothing to do, she picked up the menu at the table. It was filled with dense text—single fruit juices, mixed drinks, all kinds of combinations.

Her finger traced across the paper, and the tension in her heart slowly faded, replaced by a brief longing for ordinary life.

“Your orange juice is ready.”

The clerk placed a glass before her, droplets of condensation clinging to the surface.

“Mm, thank you.”

Peretti reached out to take it. Her fingers touched the cold glass.

Just as she was about to pay—

A tiny detail pierced through her relaxation like an icy spike.

It was business hours.

There was no need for secrecy.

So why was the door tightly shut?

The moment the thought appeared, it flooded her mind like a tide.

Every overlooked detail suddenly magnified—

The unnatural quiet.

The clerk’s constantly lowered gaze.

The noisy street outside, as if separated by an invisible barrier.

Her instincts screamed wildly—

Run. Now.

Without hesitation, Peretti dropped both the orange juice and the coins she had prepared.

Clang—

The glass shattered, juice splashing across her skirt.

She didn’t care.

Turning, she sprinted toward the door while silently chanting. A soft golden barrier instantly enveloped her body—

Her most familiar defensive spell:

[Light Protection]

“Trying to catch me? Dream on!”

She ran, inwardly relieved at her own vigilance.

If she hadn’t noticed in time—

She might really have fallen into the trap.

But in the next second—

A sudden wave of weakness swept through her body.

The elemental power within her was instantly drained. The once surging magic fell silent, and the golden barrier dimmed and vanished.

Before her consciousness faded into darkness, she heard the clerk’s sinister laughter—

“Trying to run? Too late!”

Her limbs went numb and stiff. She collapsed forward, hitting the door heavily, her forehead striking the wood with a dull pain.

“…That’s not right… I didn’t even drink the juice…”

Her vision blurred.

She tried to push herself up—

But she couldn’t even move a finger.

“Hehe… big sister, big sister… did you really think Josuna would use the same trick on you again?”

A sweet yet malicious voice sounded by her ear.

“Josuna isn’t the same little girl anymore~”

The voice was unfamiliar yet oddly familiar—carrying a chilling innocence.

Before Peretti could identify it—

Darkness completely swallowed her.

When she woke up again, her vision was blurry at first, slowly clearing.

A familiar ceiling came into view, with a lone lamp hanging above.

Usually, the light was harsh enough to sting her eyes—

But this time, it felt strangely gentle.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me. Even this got me… where did Josuna pick up such a twisted trick…”

Peretti felt speechless.

She had thought there was no way Josuna would appear here.

Yet she had been careless.

Josuna had been waiting here all along.

“…Josuna…”

She called out softly, her voice eerily calm.

No struggle.

No extra movement.

She knew this situation too well—

She must be completely restrained, unable to move at all.

She waited for that familiar voice—

Obsessive, unhinged.

Full of resentment.

But it didn’t come.

Instead—

A pair of violet-gold eyes entered her vision.

“Oh? You’re awake.”

The figure leaned closer, tone playful.

“Wow, your body’s amazing. Mingtong thought stupid big sister would need at least three hours to wake up.”

“…Mingtong?! Why is it you?!”

Peretti’s eyes widened in shock.

There was no sign of Josuna.

Instead—

It was this erratic, ruthless person.

She tried to move, but her body remained weak.

After using that talisman water, she wouldn’t recover for at least three hours.

She couldn’t even mobilize a trace of magic.

A sense of despair crept into her heart.

What had been done to her?

“Hehe… surprised? Shocked?”

Mingtong stepped out of her line of sight.

Only then did Peretti notice the steel syringe in her hand, its silver casing hiding whatever was inside.

“I injected a large amount of inert factors into your body.”

“These factors force your elemental power into inactivity.”

“In other words—respected Lady Peretti—right now, moving even a finger is impossible for you.”

“But wow… stupid big sister really surprises me.”

Mingtong circled her, tone dripping with mockery.

“A witch… coming alone into a human city with such low vigilance. Truly worthy of the title, stupid big sister!”

“But well… none of that matters now.”

She stepped in front of Peretti again, eyes gleaming with fanatic excitement. The syringe reflected cold light.

“A witch… hehe… a witch.”

“I wonder what effect this drug will have on someone whose vitality far surpasses humans?”

“I’m really looking forward to it~”

She slowly approached.

Peretti’s pupils shrank sharply, fear and unwillingness surging within her.

She would rather be pinned down by Josuna for three days and nights—

Than become this madwoman’s experiment.

She desperately tried to mobilize the remaining elemental power—

But it was frozen, completely unresponsive.

All she could do was watch the syringe get closer.

Despair flooded her like icy water.

Suddenly—

A furious shout exploded through the room:

“Who said you could touch her?!”

Before the words even finished—

Mingtong was sent flying, as if struck by an immense force. Her small body slammed into the wall, and the syringe clattered to the ground.

Summoning all her strength, Peretti turned her head toward the door.

A blonde girl stood there, breathing heavily.

Her forehead was covered in fine sweat, her chest rising and falling sharply.

And in her eyes—

Burned uncontrollable fury.

“…Josu…na?”

Peretti’s voice trembled slightly, filled with disbelief.