Chapter 96: Starship Main Cannon! – A Super Weakened Version Produced By Jiang Cha

“The madness and lust for battle of witches are etched into their very souls.”

Perhaps it was a curse from the heavens—or perhaps, during their long evolution, they simply traded away something vital in exchange for more power.

Every witch carries within her an intense tendency toward self-destruction.

Normally, it lies dormant and unseen. But when they are cornered by despair, or when the thrill of combat surges through their veins, that buried madness bursts forth.

In that moment, they are consumed by an overwhelming urge to destroy.

Even a child like Violet is no exception.
In fact, as a necromancer witch, her lust for destruction is far stronger than that of an ordinary witch.

But Jiang Cha is different.

Perhaps it’s due to her special nature—more likely, it’s the forced rationality imposed by her Innate Magic.

Among witches, she’s like the lone voice of reason.
She may cause trouble out of ignorance or curiosity, but most of the time she doesn’t display the typical madness of her kind.

So why was she now acting so recklessly?

Because even under absolute reason, her logical conclusion… was still to charge forward.

When reason and madness reach the same answer—
the girl, who usually looks harmless and calm, becomes a perfectly lucid maniac.

And then—

“Jiang Cha! You look really dangerous right now!”

The first to notice something off was the little Violet sitting beside her.
But her chubby, adorable face didn’t show the slightest trace of fear.
Instead, she beamed brightly, eyes sparkling with excitement.

Even if she’s usually well-behaved, Violet is, after all, a necromancer witch—
a being born with the most intense instinct for destruction.
Though young, the killing intent in her was already sharp and wild.

“You’re really enjoying this, huh?”

The little one tilted her head, her pure black eyes glinting in the glow of deathly mana—dark and deep, yet carrying a strange allure that drew others in.

“Of course I am,” Jiang Cha replied calmly, face unreadable but gaze razor-sharp.

Because—

This Necro-Mecha was just a prototype.
It had been built in a hurry, and she hadn’t had time to install external display systems.
That meant she couldn’t see the outside world through normal means—
only through the supercharged data analysis of her full-power state.

【Cognitive Overlap】—Activated.

Five hundred thought circuits ran in perfect parallel, her mind processing mana information at a terrifying rate.

Without a single screen, she could still see—
inside her mental model of the battlefield—
Karol, her mentor, raising her staff.

That spell was—6th-Tier Energetics Magic: [Solar Flare]!

It was the same spell Lina had been obsessed with,
and this was the first time Jiang Cha had witnessed its full power cast by Karol herself.

It was beautiful—a destructive beauty approaching the level of a forbidden spell.

The sunset sky brightened once more, as if a second sun had appeared.

To call this spell [Solar Flare] seemed too humble—
[Great Sunburst], a forbidden-level incantation, might’ve been more accurate.

“So strong…”

Karol’s power was staggering.
This spell was her tactical core, her signature—
a technique she had refined to perfection.

And what does it mean when a veteran combat witch perfects her signature spell?

Every enhancement known to witchkind—
Amplified Casting, Multi-Casting, Rapid Casting, Spell Fusion—
all flowed naturally in her hands.

A mid-tier, 6th-level spell,
yet wielded with the force and artistry of a forbidden one.

Even Jiang Cha, with all her unique advantages, couldn’t compare.
The difference in mana intensity was simply too vast.

And that gap showed in everything—
casting power, casting speed, efficiency.

The difference between a newly awakened student and a battle-hardened archwitch
was the difference between dawn and dusk.

Hopelessly wide.

That single spell alone told Jiang Cha one thing—
they couldn’t possibly win.

The black-haired girl turned her head, speaking softly.

“She’s already seized the advantage. Our undead won’t hold her off for long.”

What she wanted to ask, though, was—
could Violet summon her mother when they were about to get punished for this mess?

But… probably not. Even a Great Sage mother wouldn’t step in for such nonsense.

“Never mind. Just get ready—our opponent’s already started the fight.”

Ordinarily, the way to beat Karol was simple:
stop her from casting her field spell.

But Jiang Cha knew she couldn’t manage that,
so she took another route entirely.

“Okay! I’ve still got plenty of mana!”

With the little necromancer’s excited shout, waves of deathly mana surged into the mecha,
fully awakening the giant and layering its surface with gleaming white bone armor.

Then, as the plating sealed, the mecha’s chest split open—

A five-meter-long cannon extended outward,
barrel glowing as it charged with violent mana.

Of course Jiang Cha hadn’t been idle while Karol was preparing her spell.

This was the ultimate weapon she’d built into the necro-mecha—
a fusion of alchemy, mechanics, and enchanting,
powered by multiple energy-type manas from the Energetics school.

Her strongest creation to date.

“What the hell, Jiang Cha—are you trying to KILL me?!”

Karol’s face twitched the instant the cannon emerged,
and even Vladimir, the top-ranked professor, frowned slightly.

Because this weapon was… excessive.

Strictly speaking, it was plagiarized—
copied from the design philosophy of an interstellar main cannon.

Yes. A starship cannon.

It worked by colliding and annihilating multiple mana types,
triggering localized space-collapse effects—
an apocalyptic weapon.

Jiang Cha’s version was a downsized, simplified prototype—
but still powerful enough to earn her five years in prison if she were caught.

That was why Karol was genuinely alarmed.
She could dodge it, sure—but if she did,
that blast might vaporize a quarter of the Academy.

“Fire.”

“Solar Flare—Ray Mode!!”

Jiang Cha’s voice was calm,
a chilling contrast to Karol’s furious roar.

But when the two beams met—
there was no contrast at all.

Because when two massive energy spells collide in a witch’s world—
there’s only one possible outcome.

“BOOOOOOOOOOM——————!!!”