"Ignoring me? Attacking my slave?"
"You shouldn't have received the Witch of Envy's power. Perhaps 'Pride' suits you better."
Standing protectively in front of Pandora, Tatsuki's expression turned exceptionally cold as he summoned his Zanpakuto. "You've committed the sin of pride before me!"
With a casual horizontal slash of his sword—
Poof!
Just like before in the cave, the overwhelming dark power capable of devouring half the world vanished into thin air, as if it never existed at all.
"…"
Pandora silently stared at Tatsuki's back, feeling a complex emotion rising inside her. What was this feeling?
"Impossible!"
Subaru felt genuine fear for the first time. The power that represented the apex of this world was effortlessly erased!
To Tatsuki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception at level Lv 7, even power capable of destroying half a world was laughably insignificant. Even if all eight witches combined forces with the Dragon and Reinhard, it would still be a trivial matter for Tatsuki to cut them down one by one.
Facing Subaru, who had grown overly arrogant after acquiring the Witch of Envy's powers, Tatsuki had no patience left for nonsense.
He swung the Zanpakuto again, slicing through Subaru's line of death directly.
Subaru's panicked expression froze instantly. His eyes widened, body stiffened, and he fell straight to the ground.
"He's dead," Pandora stated matter-of-factly.
No breath.
No heartbeat.
No pulse.
These were all markers of death, but Subaru had experienced more than ordinary death.
He lost his soul, and even the very existence recorded by the root of this world was erased completely. He had been utterly and irreversibly removed from reality itself.
[Ding! Detected death of Converter Subaru, Apocalypse Companion concluded!]
[Tatsuki awarded 1,500,000 Apocalypse points; other participants awarded 100,000 points each!]
[Participants may return at any time!]
As Subaru died, the Witch of Envy's powers began violently erupting from his body, manifesting as surging black shadows. Left unchecked, this energy could once again devour half the world.
Tatsuki glanced at Pandora playfully.
"Pandora, I'll give you a chance to rebel against me. Absorb this Witch of Envy's power. Combine it with your own and then launch a magnificent rebellion against your beloved master!"
He spoke lightly, sounding genuinely intrigued.
"No," Pandora rejected instantly without hesitation.
Instead, she clung tenderly to his arm, eyes shining with deep affection, "My beloved, the Witch's power belongs to you, but your love must be mine alone."
"…"
Tatsuki shivered involuntarily.
He wasn't sure how much of her words were genuine, but this woman truly knew how to charm.
"Tsk," he muttered, conceding defeat in this little exchange.
Stretching out a hand, he gathered the rampaging dark energy effortlessly, compressing it down until it was nothing more than a small, marble-sized sphere that obediently rested in his palm.
He didn't bother using Gluttony to consume it; this level of power wasn't particularly impressive to him. So, casually, he tucked it away into his pocket.
"This wasn't all of Satella's power," Pandora volunteered. "Satella is still alive; I can sense residual energy elsewhere."
Tatsuki glanced sideways at her. "You're even willing to give reports now?"
Pandora blinked innocently, looking adorably harmless.
"Do you know where the Sanctuary is?"
At this question, Pandora's lips curled up joyfully. "So your goal includes the other witches, after all."
Tatsuki gave her rear a playful smack, cutting short her teasing, "Enough chit-chat, lead the way."
…
On a lush, green meadow, beneath a purple flower-shaped parasol, a simple tea table and chair stood. A refined woman with long pure-white hair, dressed elegantly in black, sipped her tea quietly with eyes closed. Suddenly, her eyes opened, grayish-black pupils shimmering with astonishment.
"The trials of the Sanctuary vanished…"
"The Castle of Dreams was forcibly opened. You two guests, what brings you here?"
The woman turned around, smiling radiantly.
Pressing Pandora's head lightly, Tatsuki asked, "That's Echidna, the Witch of Greed, correct?"
Pandora answered crisply, "Yes."
"Very good."
Tatsuki's Star Eyes locked onto Echidna instantly, asserting dominance, "From now on, you belong to me."
"Ehh?" Echidna gasped in surprise, eyes wide open.
She quickly realized she'd been dominated by another, but rather than fear, immense curiosity sparked within her.
"How did you do that?"
The Witch of Greed, driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge, asked eagerly without hesitation.
Ignoring her question momentarily, Tatsuki calmly approached the table. "A chair, please."
"Certainly," Echidna replied, summoning a chair immediately.
Tatsuki sat down comfortably while Pandora remained standing. Patting his thigh, he beckoned casually, "My dear, would you like to sit here?"
Pandora smiled sweetly and sat down on his lap without any resistance.
Tatsuki took a sip of tea, asking casually, "Is this tea made from your bodily fluids?"
"In a certain sense, yes," Echidna responded cheerfully.
"It tastes quite good," Tatsuki remarked plainly. "There's a citrus flavor to it. Your body has a similar scent."
Unbothered by the implications, he calmly continued caressing Pandora's smooth thigh and gazed directly at Echidna. "You must have a lot of questions."
Echidna nodded vigorously, excitement filling her eyes. "I have plenty!"
"Go ahead."
"What's your name? Who exactly are you? How did you dominate my will? How did you know the tea was made from my bodily fluids? Why is there a hint of the Witch of Envy's power on you? Why did you dominate Pandora? Are you two lovers? And why did you come looking for me?"
Tatsuki was momentarily speechless, finally managing a complaint, "That's way too many questions at once."
Echidna smiled, completely unbothered, proudly declaring, "I am the Witch of Greed. An insatiable thirst for knowledge defines who I am."
Greed symbolized avarice, yet for Echidna, this avarice was solely directed towards knowledge.
Curling his lips into a mischievous smirk, Tatsuki gently lifted Pandora's chin, carefully observing her slender neck before replying playfully, "I'm not telling you."
"…"
Echidna stared at him faintly. Surprisingly, her tone turned coquettish, softly pleading, "You truly have a wicked sense of humor, my Master."
Ha! She called him 'Master' so naturally.
To satisfy her curiosity, was dignity no longer relevant to her?
Did she completely disregard Pandora's presence here?
Pandora, however, remained silently obedient, quietly playing the role of an outsider.
Echidna had swiftly accepted the current situation. Though initially resistant, she quickly discovered that resistance against Tatsuki's domination was utterly futile. Realizing that she couldn't change reality, she decided she might as well enjoy it.
But then, Tatsuki's words took an intriguing turn. "I might reconsider telling you, under one condition."
Echidna instantly understood his meaning and smiled warmly. "My dear Master, please name your condition."
"Bring the other witches here. I'm too lazy to go looking for them myself."
"Oh, is it really that simple? Master, remember your promise!" Echidna's eyes brightened immediately.
The next moment, five distinct figures appeared, each voicing their questions as they emerged.
"Why did you summon us?" The lazy, purple-haired beauty clad in black—Sekhmet, Witch of Sloth.
"Is there delicious food?" Daphne, Witch of Gluttony, a girl confined within a coffin, bound in restraints, eyes covered by an X-shaped blindfold, emanating peculiar temptation.
"Are we holding a tea party right now?" Minerva, Witch of Wrath, a beautiful young girl with golden hair and emerald eyes.
"Hmph! If it's a tea party, I'll be the judge!" Typhon, Witch of Pride, a young girl with brown skin, green hair, dressed in a semi-transparent dress.
"Uhm, as long as nobody beats me up, I'm fine with anything." Camilla, Witch of Lust, a timid yet adorable girl with long pink hair wrapped in a large green scarf.
Only then did they notice the presence of two additional people.
"Pandora," Sekhmet narrowed her eyes warily.
The other witches quickly turned their gazes toward the Witch of Vainglory, Pandora.
Tatsuki clicked his tongue dramatically, feigning disappointment, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Nobody even noticed me? How heartbreaking. My dear love, how should we punish them?"
Pandora leaned into his embrace, giggling cheerfully, "My beloved, teach them a lesson by turning them all into slaves. Wouldn't that be delightful?"
Tatsuki smiled, amused. "You make an excellent point."
Slowly raising his head, he declared coldly yet with absolute certainty, "Listen carefully. From this moment forth, all of you witches are my slaves."
Immediately, anger surged within Sekhmet, causing her hair and dress to flutter menacingly. But in the very next instant—the other four witches instantly knelt, heads bowed obediently, clearly stating:
"Master."
Their unified voices rang out clearly and firmly.
"Excellent, stand up now," Tatsuki commanded with satisfaction.
Without hesitation, they obediently rose to their feet.
"!" Sekhmet was shocked beyond comprehension. "Why can't I use my power against you?!"
The remaining witches shared similar astonishment.
"Slaves should behave like slaves. How could I ever allow my slaves to wield their power against their Master?"
Tatsuki calmly dismissed their confusion, giving a clear order, "All of you, stand quietly to the side and keep silent."
He had no intention of chatting with them now; one witch remained: the Witch of Envy.
The five witches promptly closed their mouths obediently.
"Can you bring the Witch of Envy here?" Tatsuki asked Echidna.
"…"
Echidna grew increasingly perplexed by Tatsuki's overwhelming abilities. Although the witches were technically dead, they retained formidable powers within this realm, yet his effortless control was terrifyingly absolute.
"Satella… With the defenses of the Dream Castle down, she can enter," Echidna pondered aloud. "But how do we lure her inside?"
After brief consideration, Tatsuki decided straightforwardly, "Tell her Subaru is here."
"Understood."
Echidna followed his instructions.
Moments later, a shadowy darkness seeped in, and the Witch of Envy, shrouded in a black hooded cloak, appeared. Her voice was unstable, obsessive, repeating incessantly, "Subaru… Subaru… Subaru…"
Tatsuki initially expected her to profess love obsessively, but her actual words took him by surprise.
"Where?! Where is he?! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" Her voice filled with seething hatred.
"?" Tatsuki raised an eyebrow in surprise. This wasn't what he had anticipated.
Pandora, resting comfortably against his chest with her arms around his neck, whispered gleefully, "She was thoroughly betrayed. Love transformed into hatred—such marvelous drama. Splendid indeed!"
"Oh?" Tatsuki mused. So, the Converter Subaru truly caused deep wounds. He finally understood the terrifying nature of a Converter. Once transformed, they fully became the person, making it nearly impossible for anyone—even the Witch of Envy—to notice the change. Mind, body, and soul—they truly became indistinguishable from the original.
"Subaru… Where is he?" Satella's hooded figure turned restlessly, desperately seeking Subaru's presence.
"Apologies, but I've already killed him," Tatsuki informed her straightforwardly.
The Witch of Envy's hidden eyes locked onto him, her voice dripping venomously, "You… killed him? He was mine to kill!"
Her hatred-filled tone intensified.
Tatsuki frowned slightly, displeased by her obsessive personality.
Activating his Star Eyes, he commanded coldly, "Come here."
Wordlessly, the Witch of Envy moved forward obediently.
Then, activating his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, Tatsuki calmly sliced downward with his hand, severing the line of death cleanly.
The dark, sinister presence instantly vanished.
"Master… did you kill her?"
The voice remained Satella's, yet now it carried rationality and calm.
"Just tidying up loose ends. I don't want defective toys."
In Tatsuki's eyes, obsessive and broken personalities were mere defects. As he dominated the final witch, the Companion Task still hadn't ended, likely due to residual monsters and Witch Cult followers outside.
Satella removed her hood, revealing her face.
"You really do resemble Emilia," Tatsuki noted with genuine curiosity, examining her closely.
Indeed, her resemblance to Emilia was truly uncanny.
...
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