Chapter 16: As You Wish

“…”

Pride declared she would fulfill her promise—kill them and let the others go.

She gently extended her right hand, her spider lily baton lightly tapping the crowd below.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

One by one, people in the crowd exploded like overripe watermelons.

Blood and flesh scattered, drifting through the air.

Everyone who’d made a suggestion died under Pride’s light tap of magic, leaving only those with lingering kindness trembling in fear.

They didn’t dare speak or move, terrified they’d be next.

Pride looked at the silent crowd and spoke slowly.

“What? After surviving despair, you’re not leaving?”

She toyed with the spider lily in her left hand, her voice devoid of emotion, only her cheeks still faintly flushed from the joy of bullying the magical girls.

To survive, even in overwhelming fear, someone would take the first brave step.

As the first person shakily walked toward the amusement park’s exit and left, others followed, wobbling slowly.

They weren’t unwilling to hurry—it was Pride’s intimidation that left their limbs weak, unable to run.

Trembling, they shuffled step by step toward the gate, eventually escaping one by one.

The amusement park was left with only Pride, Jasmine, and Rose, who was still struggling from Pride’s actions.

Rose’s wide, furious eyes burned with rage, as if she could shoot flames to reduce Pride to ashes.

“Well, today’s puppet theater didn’t get its curtain call, but it was still a good show.”

“Jasmine, what do you think of the evil in people’s hearts?”

Pride stood behind Jasmine, whispering softly into her ear.

Jasmine had faced misunderstanding before, but never demands for her death.

Today’s events shook her absolute belief in kindness.

She began to wonder: Were the people she protected truly worth her life?

After a moment, Jasmine responded.

“I don’t know…” Her voice was weak.

Her answer was as Pride expected.

A massive blow to the heart would leave anyone disheartened, unable to provide an answer immediately.

Pride didn’t bully them further, lightly waving her baton to release their bindings.

Freed, Rose immediately charged at Pride.

Fueled by rage, she swung a fist at her.

Pride caught Rose’s fist, pulling her into an embrace, her right hand circling Rose’s slender waist, spinning her in a twirl.

Their skirts fluttered lightly, a beautiful and captivating sight.

“My little Rose, so eager to get close the moment you’re free?”

After the spin, Pride held Rose tightly, restricting her movement.

“Damn witch! I won’t let you go!” Rose roared, spitting onto Pride’s face.

Some even landed… between Pride’s blood-red lips.

Pride wasn’t bothered by Rose.

But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t get angry at Rose’s defiance.

Though naturally aloof, Pride wasn’t devoid of emotion.

“Little Rose, if you keep squirming, want to bet I’ll kiss you again?”

For some reason, seeing Rose’s furious yet helpless expression sparked an eager impulse in Pride. She desperately wanted to tease her mercilessly.

But there was no time—her sister was waiting.

If she delayed, Bai Feifei would cry even harder.

“Mere witch, you think you can scare me? Go ahead and kiss me if you dare!”

“As you wish.”

Pride grabbed Rose’s cheeks, forcing her to pucker, and kissed her.

But!

Their relationship wasn’t that close—Pride only pecked Rose’s forehead.

“Mmph!”

The warm, wet sensation on her forehead drove Rose to struggle, heedless of her drained magic.

“Rose, enough.”

Jasmine’s sudden voice stopped her.

If Pride wanted, they wouldn’t survive today.

Releasing their bindings without further harm showed no intent to kill.

Had Rose not charged, would Pride have teased her?

Jasmine knew Pride wouldn’t kill them.

But that made her feel even more helpless.

The gap in strength between them and the witch was vast!

They couldn’t even resist!

“Compared to naughty children, obedient ones please me more.”

Pride let go of Rose, took Jasmine’s hand, and gently danced with her in the air.

“Sweet Jasmine, I hope next time we meet, you’ll give me the true answer in your heart.”

Pride’s voice was calm, like a lullaby soothing Jasmine’s chaotic emotions.

Jasmine instinctively followed Pride’s steps, unaware that Pride was fading before her eyes.

She dissolved into countless spider lily petals, scattering into the air.

Whoosh~

A breeze swept the petals skyward, enveloping the two magical girls.

They’d lost, utterly defeated.

Pride left the amusement park and immediately released her transformation.

Guilt flooded her heart.

Bai Yao crouched in a corner, covering her face, unsure of what she’d just done.

“What do I do? What do I do?”

“I did such awful things to Huang Ran and them—binding them, hitting them, and worst of all, I kissed Long Shu!”

“I’m done… If Long Shu finds out Pride is me, she’ll kill me!”

“No, no, no! The one who did those bad things wasn’t me—it was the witch!”

“Right! I’m Bai Yao, not Pride.”

Bai Yao muttered, slapping her cheeks to force herself to calm down.

She didn’t realize she’d killed many people, nor did she feel any aversion to it.

Killing those vermin seemed trivial to Pride.

From the moment Bai Yao called upon the blood-red spider lily, symbolizing Pride’s authority, she had become Pride.

Bai Yao was the Pride Witch.

The Pride Witch was Bai Yao.

Calming down, Bai Yao immediately searched for Bai Feifei near the amusement park.

At the park’s entrance, she saw Bai Feifei sitting on the ground, crying helplessly.

“Feifei!”

Bai Yao’s voice made Bai Feifei snap her head up, tears blurring her vision.

“Sis? Is that you!”

“Feifei!”

“Sis!”

The sisters ran toward each other, embracing tightly at the center of the amusement park’s entrance.