Chapter 54

Creak. Crack. Could that really be the sound of a human body? With a grotesque noise, Gretel’s back sprouted extra arms that moved in creepy, unison jerks—as if each had its own will, writhing independently.

A horror movie scene. But instead of panicking like Adel, trembling beside me, rage bubbled up within me.

How dare she casually disregard her monstrous deeds and deny her inevitable downfall? Remembering Hansel’s tragic fate—doomed to a life as a plaything before dying—and Rapunzel’s cold face in my arms…

“Because of me?! I killed Hansel, you say!!! Don’t make me laugh!! Damn trash!!! I’ll tear you limb from limb while you’re still alive, gut you open, and feast on your insides! And before you die, I’ll prolong your suffering so you can fully witness how pathetic it is to be devoured by me!!!”

Gretel let out a blood-curdling scream, her giant mouth dripping saliva all over.

She wobbled toward me. What’s wrong? She isn’t using magic like before? Her bloated size must have slowed her down significantly… Just as I wondered why, an instinctive chill ran through me. Something far stronger than anything I’d faced was approaching, pressing against me.

Whoosh!

The golden scythe sliced through the air. A sharp sensation traveled through the handle, confirming contact.

“What… what is this!?”

Surprisingly calm, Gretel halted her charge, glaring at me with suspicion.

“I’ll cut you down. Your twisted obsession deserves nothing but a bad ending. You don’t deserve love.”

“Shut up! You’ve got some nerve after killing Hansel! He was my love! We were meant for each other!”

“Spare me the nonsense. Didn’t he reject you himself? He hated you enough to slap you even on his deathbed. The one he truly loved wasn’t you—it was the witch you murdered!”

“I AM THE WITCH YOU TALK ABOUT!!!”

With both her normal and additional mouths wide open, drool coated everything around her.

As she began chanting an eerie spell, convulsing violently, her eyes rolled back into her head. The ominous energy radiating off her sent shivers down my spine. Whatever this was, failing to stop it would mean certain defeat.

“Do I look like an idiot standing here while a mage casts spells openly?!”

I lunged forward, aiming to crush her skull. But just as I swung—

Whirrr!

Her bizarre extra limbs seized me, pinning my arms, legs, and neck. My breath caught in my throat under their crushing grip.

“Crap!”

I’d underestimated them! Thinking they were mere decoration, I foolishly ignored their threat. Damn it!

While I struggled, Gretel continued her incantation, shaking violently as foam dripped from her lips. Meanwhile, the pressure from the limbs holding me grew unbearable; bones threatened to snap.

Will this be where it ends? So meaningless? Hell no—I won’t go down like this!

Crack!

Biting into one of the arms gripping my neck, I tasted flesh and decay. Once free, I immediately gnawed through another arm restraining my weapon-hand. Blood gushed, and the sensation of tearing skin made me gag.

Whoosh!

With regained freedom, I swung the scythe again, severing the remaining limbs. Turning back to Gretel—

“Damn you!”

Incomprehensible words spewed from her lips. Too late. An explosion of crimson light erupted from her body. Reacting instantly, I swung the scythe once more.

And darkness swallowed me whole.

***

…Huh? Someone calling me?

“Wake up!”

Ugh… opening my eyes feels impossible.

“We’re about to die!!!!”

“Aaah!”

My eyes snapped open. Heat. Intense, suffocating heat enveloped every inch of my body. Drenched in sweat, droplets hitting the roaring flames beneath caused sizzling smoke to rise.

My vision swam, flickering between fire and blackness. Dizziness overwhelmed me, nausea churned in my stomach.

Every bone ached as though beaten raw. My mind remained foggy.

“Ugh… What… is this…”

“You’ve finally awakened! That damned witch’s spell hit us hard! Your last-second scythe swing weakened it somewhat, but the shockwave slammed us into walls, knocking you unconscious! This is the result!”

Adel’s voice echoed behind me. Only now did I grasp our predicament: bound tightly to a massive spit above blazing flames, we roasted slowly thanks to its automatic rotation.

We lost. Despite charging bravely, stupid mistakes cost us the fight. Is this it then? The oppressive heat makes breathing difficult. Feels like being trapped in hell’s sauna.

Exhaustion weighs heavy. Breathing alone feels exhausting.

“Hey! Snap out of it! If you succumb to the heat, it’s over! Say something!”

“Ugh… I understand.”

“Any ideas? Right now… oh no.”

A towering shadow loomed ahead. Through the spinning haze, it belonged to the still-monstrous Gretel. Grinning ear-to-ear, she spoke:

“I told you. I’ll make sure you suffer before dying. Even though I had something extraordinary, this suits your level perfectly. Pay for killing my Hansel. First… yes.”

Lifting a hulking gorilla-like hand, she revealed a colossal Chinese cleaver capable of slicing through anything in one strike. My dazed mind snapped alert.

Frozen terror melted away, replaced by fresh fear. She plans to carve me up?! Shit, shit, shit!

Think! Any way out?

“Keheheh! Your frantic eye movements looking for escape are quite amusing. Hmm, but you know…”

Suddenly, Gretel fixed me with a lewd stare.

“You… resemble Hansel. His soft yet sharp gaze, pointed nose, luscious red lips… Hmm~”

“Why are you staring at me like that?!”

Eww! Goosebumps erupted across my skin! Not this kind of attention from THAT thing! Need to escape NOW!

Anything… anything at all! What do I have right now…

“Hmm, observing you closely confirms it. You DO look like Hansel. Oh, brilliant idea! You’ll become my new Hansel! Kekekekeke! Why didn’t I think of this sooner? Dye your hair blonde, fatten you up a bit, and voila—perfect Hansel!”

“Are you serious?! What am I hearing right now?!”

Adel’s shocked voice rang out behind me.

“Hmph. Stop yapping, runt, or I’ll cut that tongue out. Keep quiet.”

Adel fell silent.

Creak. The rotation stopped. Before me stood Gretel’s unmistakably monstrous face, enlarged to half my size. Salivating, she declared:

“As a special favor, you’ll become MY Hansel starting now.”

I stared blankly before smirking and unleashing everything I’d been collecting in my mouth.

“Phthhhht!”

Thanks to her vast surface area, every drop of saliva landed squarely on her face.

“Excuse me? My Hansel my ass. Still hung up on someone who rejected you?”

“Keheheehee! You’ve thrown away your final chance, you worthless piece of filth!”

Her laughing face contorted instantly, making her already hideous features even worse. Without hesitation, she raised the cleaver high above her head.

“I’ll sever your limbs first!”

“Not without preparation, am I?! You’re the idiot for not taking my ring!”

Earlier, I’d confirmed the presence of my ring. Since she hadn’t removed it, I could provoke her safely. Instantly, I re-materialized the scythe with the ring.

“Wha—?!”

Blinding light accompanied the reappearance of the golden scythe.

Clang.

Then it dropped limply to the ground.

Hmm… not what I expected. I thought the sickle blade would cut the rope…

Damn.