Deceive

"Hey Serth, that was almost it for even us. That explosion sure did pack a punch."

Selduralto who was now sitting on top of the golem knight's shoulder as it walked slowly through the desert said as she looked at Sidruline running through the desert. She could also sense Algazuma following her underneath the sand.

When the explosion occurred, a split second after Seduralto realized what was happening, Serth had let go of the sword and grabbed her with one hand as he dove underground faster than Algazuma's lava dive. The explosion was powerful and managed to create a crater as big as a football field and 15 meters in depth. The depth of the explosion was not that big because Seduralto had turned the sand into hard rock as she and Serth dove lower.

"That fool. Why is it that the only Dark witch I know is not a fool but the rest of them are, Serth?"

She asked the golem knight like it was a person and it looked at her like it was saying 'Really? do you think I can talk?'.

"Don't look at me like that you handsome little thing. I made you and you are even smarter than most of them right."

Serth nodded like he was happy hearing that statement from her.

"What would you have done if you were her?"

She asked Serth who put his hand on his chin like he was in deep thought.

"You know, I wish I could have seen her face when she saw Algazuma. I had noticed him shadowing us a week after we left. Father must have predicted this and wanted him to have the chance to catch his prey."

She said with a smile.

"Ahh Serth, you still do not want to give me an answer?"

Serth again looked at her like she was doing him wrong for expecting him to speak.

"Alright, alright, I just wanted to see you making that face. You so cute when you want to scold me."

Serth just shook his head in disapproval.

"Come on, I only act like this when it is just the two of us. At least allow me to have some fun."

Serth shook his head again.

"Such a strict child you are. Anyways, the first mistake was thinking her plan will succeed. The second was thinking the beasts she brought for my enjoyment were even close to my level."

Serth shook his head again in annoyance of such a low standard they thought of her to be in.

"I would rather spend a day in the Trial Forest and fight for my life than fighting all these boring beasts."

Serth nodded his head.

"So, we can conclude that she has been turning our people into Initiates but has never gone into the Trial Forest if she thought that those beasts were powerful third-tier beasts."

Serth nodded.

"The third mistake was not transforming before she availed herself. Why do most witches do this Serth? They are already powerful without the help of their partner but a third-tier witch is twice as powerful when they call upon them. If I was a Grand witch, I would be suicidal by now. Many of their disciples die because of just this one small fact."

Serth nodded.

"Maybe they just think of us undeserving for them to show their true strength. Don't you think?"

Serth shook his head.

"What, no? You think they are just idiots?"

Serth nodded

"Hahaha, now that's the Serth I know."

Seduralto was enjoying herself on top of his shoulder like fights were not happening around her. She had no concern whatsoever.

"Well, the last one is a bit unsettling. She could have fought using the cover of the people in the camp. They would make things easy for her as the others would need to fight while protecting the the people. She would have managed to escape if she caused enough distraction too, as the others would take priority on saving the people. Why do you think she is moving away from the camp then if that was the case?"

Serth put his hand on his chin again, trying to think.

"I will give you three options to choose from. 1st-she is an idiot, 2nd-she is a fool and 3rd-she is an imbecile."

Serth showed her the number 3 with his stone fingers. Seduralto could not help but laugh.

"Oops, there goes Butt Chaser's head. I wonder what that is about. Salina must have a good reason for this. I have never seen a second-tier mage die so fast in my life."

She said, now with concern.

Sidruline who was still running at that point stopped and checked if Algazuma was following her. She smiled as she saw no one and no lava being formed anywhere in the ground near her. She looked at the oasis that was far away from where she was at that point and smiled.

A dark light as small as a raindrop started forming in her hand as she faced the oasis with her smile turning cruel. She stopped what she wanted to do though as she felt something was wrong like she was being watched.

Lava instantly formed an arms distance from her and Algazuma leaped out of it with a lava hand formed in his missing hand. He was so fast and Sidruline had no time to react that the Lava fist hit her square in the face making her only take a step back. The heat from the lava fist instantly started to melt away her skin, but even as powerful as the punch was, it only tilted her head slightly like she only received a hard clap.

"I thought we had an agreement that you would let me turn before we started."

She said with the fist still on her face melting it but with her not feeling pain at all. Algazuma withdraw his punch and smiled cruelly as he stepped back.

"Do you think I am that stupid?"

He said as he put his lava and normal hand behind his back like an old wise man and started to walk around her.

'Witches are sure tough. No one can come close to them in physical abilities except for same Beast warriors and mages who only concentrate in close combat spells.'

He thought as even though he expected that much from her, he did not expect her to take his punch head-on and suffer close to no damage as he knew the skin he had melted was not even her own.

"A wise beautiful Dark witch who cooks meals that would make you fall in love with her and who her kisses make you want to obey her every command...."

Sidruline did not know what the hell he was talking about and just spat on the ground with her spit instantly melting the sand as it sank deep into it. Algazuma paid no attention to this and just continued talking.

"..... Once told me that if a Dark witch is ever in a disadvantage and they could not run away, they rather cause you pain with the hopes of breaking you and creating a chance to run away."

Sidruline clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"And, how would you cause me pain?"

Algazuma looked to the oasis as he asked.

"By killing as many of them as you can, with the hopes of making me to try and save them."

Sidruline's face that had melted away and whose left eye was almost falling off from its socket because of Algazuma's punch looked angry and horrifying.

"And here I thought you were a true mage warrior. Let me change so I can show you a real fight."

"Are you an imbecile?"

Seduralto who was still far away but close enough to listen to their conversation by using one of her spells laughed so hard when she heard Algazuma say those words.

"Serth, I did not know the two of you thought alike."

Serth shook his head vigorously, denying any association with the old man. Seduralto just continued teasing him.

Sidruline who was not having a good day fumed.

"We agreed!"

She yelled out.

"And you should never trust a mage's words when it comes to a fight. Me almost jumping into fighting you at the camp without the care of the people around there was an act that Salina picked up on. It was all so you would think I had no problems going all out there and making you make the decision of coming out here with the pretense of me being stupid enough to allow you to change. I would not allow that. As far as we are, one of your curses can still reach the oasis if I am not careful."

Sidruline who had always been the one to deceive people lost her cool at that point. Her nails turned sharp like they were claws and she started reaping the skin of her face off. She gouged out her eyes then ripped her hair out too. Blood gushed out but she was in no pain. After a few seconds with her looking like a zombie with no skin, hair, and eyes, they each started to reappear starting with her hair that was blonde, then her lips that were naturally red as her skin that looked so delicate covered her face and neck. Her eyes came into her socket as they seemed to have been at the back of the ones she had taken out. They were green, a color that made her face look like one of fantasy.

"Awe, how ugly can you be."

Algazuma said as he thought how a witch he knew was so perfect in every way in his eyes. He saw a tattoo on her neck that he took note of. The words made Sidruline go wild and she instantly went on the attack.

Sheyken who had just finished putting Esiyana on his bed that was next to Falgur's and had gone to check on the other tents saw Salina coming back with Alen's headless body on her shoulder.

'What? That fast?'

He could not believe it and thought Alen was just all talk at that point, but after looking at her eyes which tried to hide her sadness he thought otherwise. No matter how he thought about it, whether fast or not, killing someone you knew for a long time was not easy. So, he chose to keep quiet and continue checking on the people.

What he did not know was that what had been happening ever since they came to Senjira was exactly what Salina had needed to develop her Blessing as her emotions were a big part of it. The emotions she had felt in those months were some she had never felt before in her life and helped her grow rapidly.