Reborn As a Pirate - Chapter 106

Chapter 106: Grand “Performance”
As fragments of the shattered space wall tumbled down like a torrential rain, Ryan found himself abruptly materializing on the blood-drenched stage.

The lifeless Black Knight, clad in jet-black armor, knelt half-subdued upon the ground, his visage obscured but the brilliant scarlet of his blood stark against the stage’s backdrop, creating a macabre spectacle. High above, the Blood Witch Selina loomed, her features hidden behind a mask. Though her face was concealed, the glee in her voice was unmistakable.

“Even the agent of God could not halt the march of the ‘hero,'” she proclaimed with a triumphant sneer.

“According to the annals of history, the ‘hero’ saved the ‘first witch’ and thus preserved the last flicker of hope for our world.”

With a sudden flourish that mimicked the explosion of fireworks, blood-red blossoms sprang up around the stage, while a staircase, as if conjured from thin air, unfurled at Ryan’s feet. It spiraled upwards, leading to a blood crystal column atop which lay Freni, bound to a stake.

As the faux blooms erupted and the fanfare echoed, signaling the climax of this “grand performance,” Caius, the tavern owner and today’s “special audience,” adjusted his gold-rimmed spectacles and applauded, “What a ‘marvelous’ performance.”

“Though the ‘actors’ are of lowly rank, a first-order vanquishing a second-order limit is unheard of even to my ears.”

“The tale of the ‘Hero’ and the ‘first witch’ while not new to me, has never been so vividly enacted before my eyes.”

Back on the stage, Ryan paused momentarily, then resolutely ascended the stairs.

Selina’s script had been clear: after conquering three formidable adversaries, his final act would be to ascend these stairs and personally liberate Freni from her bonds, completing their “scripted reality.”

The metallic clink of his boots on the staircase echoed sharply. The stairway, devoid of guardrails, seemed a precarious bridge suspended between realms, magnifying the stakes of his ascent.

From his elevated vantage point, Ryan could now see that they were in the heart of Minin Forest, atop a slumbering, extinct volcano, an elaborate arena crafted by the Blood Witch Selina through means beyond his comprehension.

At the summit, standing on the towering blood crystal column, Ryan hastened to the stake. As he drew near, the blood-colored chains ensnaring Freni dissolved into the air, and the unconscious witch slumped forward. Swiftly, Ryan caught her in a princess hold, her breath steady against him, a silent testament to her resilience with her face laying on his chest.

After ensuring her safety, Ryan turned, facing the distant witch. His eyes, sharp and questioning, bore into Selina. His gaze alone conveyed his demand, We’ve played out your “performance”; now, is it time to depart?

Even Caius, the tavern owner seated prominently in the “special audience seat,” rose, signaling his readiness to depart from the grim theater.

The Blood Witch Selina, undeterred by Ryan’s piercing gaze, focused instead on the frail girl nestled within his arms. With a slow, deliberate cadence, she mused aloud:

“The ‘hero’ rescued the ‘original witch’ and supposedly left hope for the world.”

“Everything has transpired as it should have…”

“But one must wonder, is this truly what the ‘original witch’ desired?”

“Her body has been battered and hollowed by relentless pursuit, her kin and all she cherished reduced to mere dust and echoes.”

“Tell me, if you stood in the shoes of the ‘original witch,’ would you still harbor any concern for this world’s fate?”

“I suspect the answer to that question eludes us all.”

“The curse, however, bequeathed by the ‘original witch,’ lingers, infecting every witch of subsequent generations, leaving none unscathed.”

As she spoke, Selina descended gracefully onto the blood crystal column near the “special audience seats.” Turning her gaze to Caius, she addressed him with a knowing softness: “Mr. Caius, or should I say, in the parlance of the circus, [Actor] Mr. Caius, has your captain found the ‘performance’ to his liking?”

Caius, ever the composed spectator, retorted with a practiced smile, “What you ask pertains to matters beyond reach. The captain resides far from the Inner Sea District. A response awaits upon my return and subsequent presentation of the ‘performance video.'”

Unswayed, Selina peered through Caius, contemplating a distant reality. Ignoring his response, she continued to weave her narrative:

“It’s said that the circus has an appetite for amassing various ‘scripts,’ reshaping them, and then staging them anew for the ‘audience’ in a manner most ‘novel.'”

“The role of an [actor] in the circus involves not only performance but also the collection of these scripts.”

“This much is public knowledge.”

“What remains obscured from the world is that each [actor] carries a fragment of the circus director’s spirit.”

“When an [actor] ‘discovers’ an intriguing script, the distant circus director immediately perceives the entirety of the ‘script.'”

“Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. [Director]?”

Caius’s silence was brief. When he looked up again, his visage was unchanged, yet his aura had transformed profoundly: “How came you by this knowledge, Blood Witch Selena?”

“And to what end, even if such things are known?”

Caius’s voice deepened, laden with implication.

“You’ve extended invitations to my circus’s members to witness this spectacle. Is your aim merely to unveil such ‘insignificant’ secrets?”

“Far from it,” Selina chuckled, her voice resonating beneath her mask, which did little to conceal her amused, enigmatic expression. “Since you are pleased with the ‘performance,’ it seems only fitting to extend a modest tribute, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Though I hardly anticipated this ‘performance’ reaching its climax,” Blood Witch Selina mused with a hint of surprise.

“But as the legends foretold, who could have predicted he would extricate the ‘first witch’ from the clutches of the church and the angels?”

“Perhaps, this is the hand of fate…”

Caius, his expression turning into a scowl, glanced at the blood-colored chains encircling him. He made no attempt to break free. If he were present in his true form, the Blood Witch would have reason to fear. But here, he was merely a specter of his full self…

“So, what do you deem a suitable reward?” Caius’s voice remained steady, betraying none of his constrained position.

“Fate… [Spiritual Path] One requisite for ascending to the fifth-level legendary profession, [Fate Guide] is to personally orchestrate a ‘performance’ imbued with ‘fate’ and acknowledged by a being of at least fifth-level stature… Fate is capricious, elusive. While your ‘performance’ was indeed magnificent, it teetered on the brink of disaster. Had another assumed the role of the hero, the ‘performance’ surely would have faltered…”

“I stand as your ‘audience’ and have endorsed your ‘performance.’ Is that not reward enough?”

“You must realize the ramifications of harming anyone from the circus.”

“Blood Witch Selena, given your precarious situation, do you truly seek to make an enemy of me?”

“As you’ve pointed out, the circus holds quite a power. Gaining an enemy like you could only be detrimental to my interests.” Serena’s voice carried a smile, tinged with an abnormal delight, “But then, I am not one for normalcy, am I?”

As she spoke, she produced an antiquated brass-colored metal box. With a flick, she opened it, revealing a yellowish, tattered cloth strip that caught Caius’s gaze, altering his expression for the first time.

“A taboo—bloody shroud?!”

“How dare you wield such a thing? Do you seek death?”

A tremor finally disturbed Caius’s typically composed tone.

“Fear not, I have no intention of cursing your original form. I merely seek to extract the legendary essence you’ve imbued in this spectral presence.”

“I never aimed to merely conclude this ‘performance’; my true target was always you…”

As she declared her intentions, the faded cloth emitted a sinister, dark red glow that enveloped Caius.

As the “forbidden item bloody shroud” enveloped him, Caius’s demeanor shifted to one of eerie calm.

He fixed a penetrating gaze on the witch before him: “You will pay dearly for this choice.”

“Of course, I await it with bated breath.” Selina’s reply was filled with anticipation and an unsettling thrill for the impending consequences.

Blood Witch Selena’s tone retained its eerie cheerfulness even as the macabre scene unfolded. Under the sinister dark red glow, Caius’s form appeared to flatten, transitioning from a three-dimensional solidity to a mere two-dimensional shadow. Amid this unsettling transformation, a light golden aura, squeezed by the oppressive dark red, began to peel away from Caius’s ethereal body.

Selena, with an almost ceremonial grace, raised her hand and captured the escaping golden light, suspending it above her palm as if displaying a rare jewel.

The ancient brass box snapped shut abruptly, and from its surface sprouted a sharp metal spike that pierced through Selena’s left hand. Her body shuddered from the intrusion, and her hand withered rapidly, its vitality visibly draining away. Yet, Selena seemed indifferent to her physical decay.

Turning her back on the scene, she stepped forward and materialized beside Ryan in a blink. She eyed the battle-ready young man with a peculiar amusement. “What an odd fellow you are, but then, it’s only the unusual ones who are deemed fit to partner with a witch, right?”