Continuing the last chapter - Madison and Daiko immediately rushed back to the camp to warn the others after they learned that something is about to happen. While rushing back to the camp, Madison gave Daiko a necklace with an unfamiliar pendant with it.
Daiko asked, "What's this for?"
Madison vaguely answered, "You will know when the time comes."
When they got to the camp, nothing out of the ordinary has happened, Daiko saw them drinking, laughing and even telling stories of their adventures, it was a pleasant atmosphere, one that Daiko wished for as Daiko joins the party with them.
Madison suddenly stepped in and believed that nothing happened here, until she saw blood flowing on the ground, she immediately realized that this was all but an illusion. She turns around to look for the culprit, but can't find it until she felt something.
She pulled out her gun and shoots it behind her, the illusion slowly disappeared as she looks around. The fun and happy atmosphere was turned into a slaughter place where bodies of other people are scattered, dismembered limbs and impaled heads in tree branches while there are others still alive but was under the curse of the illusion. Madison also noticed that Daiko was still inside the illusion along with the others as she turns around to the direction where she shot her gun to look for the culprit.
It turns out that the culprit was an illusionist type, a witch that can cast illusions, dreams and nightmares on people. Madison smiled as she starts approaching the witch, looking with a heavy killing intent. The witch can't move as she stumbles on the ground due to the fact that Madison shot her in the legs, making her unable to escape, she knew that somewhere in the illusion is the reason why Madison is approaching her with such intent, but cannot figured out why.
Madison grabbed the witch by the hair and asked, "Why... Why do you have to show me such a thing?" While glaring at her as if she was about to torture her to death.
The witch struggles in pain and answered, "I don't know what are you talking about..."
Madison replied, "Why still playing dumb despite the circumstances where I can take your life any moment? Why do you have to show his face... His smile... His laugh to me..." As she started crying, remembering the moments she had with Mason. "Even though it's been several months since then..."
The witch gently hugs Madison and slowly pats her head, making Madison fall asleep as she dives in her memories. In Madison's memories she saw all the hardships, experiences and Madison's life as a Witch Hunter, she saw Madison's childhood memories, how she lost her parents and eventually, his twin brother, Mason.
But the part that caught her attention is Madison's encounter with the Witch Queen and there she saw Madison got chained up after getting betrayed by her companion, Eleanor after they went back to the local governor's house that took them in since they were little.
The witch looked deep in Madison's memories to search if she has more encounters with the Witch Queen, but unfortunately, she did not found any aside from the memory she saw earlier. The witch became determine that Madison will be the key to her journey but the moment she saw the Witch Queen, she felt nothing but pure malice, a being that will spread corruption.
The witch knew that she needed Madison's help to stop the Witch Queen at all cost. She immediately dispelled the illusion she casted earlier, waking Daiko from the dream and getting Madison back in the reality in the morning.
After Daiko and Madison woke up, the witch groveled to the ground begging for forgiveness for casting an illusion upon them and explained, "I did not mean you any harm, but it was not me who killed those men in the camp. Your men did not do any harm to me but instead, I was taken in took care of me. I am thankful for them. The reason I was in this forest was because I was in a journey."
Daiko asked, "What is this journey you are taking?"
The witch replied, "I was on a journey to look for a holy sword that was recorded in history that decapitated many witches and trapped their soul inside the sword for eternity." As she began to introduce herself, "My name is Cristy, I live in the Capital City of Staron. I also heard rumors that the king is hunting down the Last Witch Hunter. I did not think that you are the ones that has been hunting her down."
Daiko made some corrections to that statement and replied, "Those are just groundless rumors, the king ordered us to search for her." He pointed at Madison. "But we didn't took into account the capabilities of a Witch Hunter which led to our own failure."
Daiko turns around at Madison and bowed, and genuinely asked, "Lady Madison, I humbly asked on behalf of the king and my men. Please, come to the royal palace with us. Our king sincerely asked for your help, I also heard about your brother and I am very sorry for your loss."
Madison smiled and said, "Thanks for the invitation, I will go with you but in exchange, I would like to take in Cristy as my disciple. Anything that you want with her will go through me first."
Hearing this made Cristy surprised and hapy while Daiko agrees with the conditions made.
Before returning to the royal palace, they need to bury the dead and send them a proper send off in order to rest their souls in peace in the afterlife, giving them prayers and such.
After burying the bodies, they packed themselves up and travelled back to the royal palace where the king of Staron awaits for Madison's arrival.
What sort of fate is waiting for Madison in the palace?
To be continued...