The witch opened her eyes and looked at the black-haired young man at the entrance of the hall.
Confusion and anger flashed in her eyes.
Because she had to fight with all her might against the power from the divine beings, she was too strained to notice Char hiding with the use of the Veil of Concealment.
"Why are you still here?"
Miss Witch's tone raised a few notches.
Then, with all her strength, she sat up straight, not wanting to reveal her state of loss in front of the human.
But her slender legs hidden under the black veil skirt were trembling slightly, and even the strength to stand up and face him had completely disappeared.
Char looked at her with a complex expression and shook his head gently.
Breaking the seal, desecrating the divine, unfounded bestowal.
These three offenses dictated by the will of punishment, Char heard them all.
Upon careful consideration, not a single one of them was unrelated to Char.
In order to save him, Miss Witch forcefully used her mental projection to break the seal, driving away the Elemental God Adrien, and then completely refined the Invisible Magic into an ancient artifacts, which she bestowed upon Char.
But from beginning to end, she never asked anything from Char.
Even the matter of punishment, she never revealed a single word to him.
What a stubborn person.
Char took a deep breath.
The favor Miss Witch bestowed upon him was somewhat too heavy.
At least Char himself was not as righteous as she imagined. The deaths caused by their previous encounters may have been somewhat shocking, but ultimately it was for his own benefit.
"Madam, what can I do for you?"
Char paid no attention to her words of asking him to leave, stepping forward to enter the hall.
A cold glint flashed in Miss Witch's eyes. "I told you, it's an equivalent exchange."
She lightly raised her fingertip.
Just one second before Char stepped into the palace, the two stone doors on the left and right sides of the entrance slammed shut with a resounding crash!
That cold figure disappeared before Char's eyes.
He stood there in a daze for a few seconds, then turned around and noticed that the teleportation passage behind him was still intact, although the surface of the burning silver flames flickered slightly. It seemed to be saying that the witch wouldn't be able to hold on much longer, and if he didn't leave now, it would be too late!
But he didn't even consider that option.
"Do you underestimate me?"
Char sighed.
...
Accompanied by the flickering of the Libra mark on her chest, the pain inflicted by the punishment continued.
Miss Witch felt pain all over her body, as if every inch of her bones was slowly crushed.
But she remained composed, slightly bending down to pick up the feather pen from the ground.
At that moment, a dull friction sound suddenly came from the entrance of the palace ahead.
Miss Witch furrowed her brows.
What a persistent fellow.
There was a trace of her released power on the stone doors, although it was just a shallow trace, it was not something that the weak and insignificant like Char could forcefully break through.
Perhaps after experiencing some setbacks, he would leave on his own.
So Miss Witch paid no attention and gripped the fallen feather pen.
A series of delicate sounds followed.
"Sss—"
Then, streams of white silk-like steam rose from the almost imperceptible cracks below the stone doors.
"Boom rumble rumble—"
Accompanied by the rough scraping sound between the stone doors and the ground, the double doors were slowly pushed open just a little.
But it was just a mere trace.
However, in the next second, a deep shadow projected from the stone doors onto the shadow on the ground, darting out from a gap that was impossible for a person to pass through!
Under the gaze of Miss Witch, that shadow lifted a curtain and emerged from within.
She was stunned.
At this moment, Char's skin surface was adorned with strange reddish patterns, surrounded by steam, and his black hair moved without wind.
Not only that, but his arms were tightly enveloped by two handguards emanating a black glow.
Those were the handguards manifested by his transformation, [Ember], providing him with a double boost.
Char's body swayed a few times and then staggeringly knelt down on the ground.
The reddish patterns and steam quickly faded away, and even the armguards that enveloped his arms couldn't hold on, seeping back into his skin.
Even though his body was experiencing intense side effects, Char forcefully activated the [Explosive Battle Qi].
Yet this time, he could barely hold on for less than a second.
"Drip, drip, drip..."
Streams of fresh blood flowed down from Char's skin surface.
Due to the aftermath of forcefully activating the [Explosive Battle Qi] for the second time, his entire body felt like shattered porcelain, with countless bloodstains seeping onto his clothes and dripping from the cracks.
Soon, they gathered on the ground, forming a small pool of blood.
"..."
The witch lowered her head to look at Char.
Little did she know that he also raised his head, his delicate face smeared with blood, revealing a smile that seemed foolish to her.
"This kind of injury... should be far less painful than what you're experiencing right now."
Char propped himself up on the ground, swaying as he stood up, wiping the blood from his face.
Miss Witch closed her eyes, her pale fingers tightly gripping the surface of the diary.
"The passage is closed."
Her voice showed no discernible emotion.
"It's okay, I will leave this place after resolving your issue," Char smiled. "You know, I'm a writer, a writer who doesn't really like tragic endings."
"So I said, a perfect ending definitely exists."
He pointed to his own head.
However, Char, who had witnessed the entire process of punishment while staying within the shadow curtain, had never stopped contemplating.
He was pondering how to help Miss Witch escape her current predicament.
The god of justice and judgment.
The threefold responsibility.
And the repeated mentions of equivalent exchange in Miss Witch's previous conversations.
Although it wasn't deliberately emphasized in that context, observant Char sensed a slight discordance in those words.
It was as if they were deliberately emphasizing something to a certain entity.
Perhaps it was the will of punishment within the palace.
Or perhaps... it was convincing herself?
Facing this extraordinary situation, a storm brewed in Char's mind, attempting to break free from conventional thinking and approach the problem from a different angle.
Relying solely on his own power was definitely not feasible, but maybe there was a loophole to exploit.
Especially since the presence in the palace was merely a will without consciousness.
So, Char took a deep breath, tilting his head back towards the golden scales imprint in the sky and shouted loudly, "It is not a gratuitous bestowal!"
"Listen carefully, this is a sacrifice, a complete and equivalent exchange!!!"
The witch suddenly opened her eyes, looking at Char with an expression of astonishment.
At the same time, the sun-like blazing scales imprint hovering at the highest point of the palace trembled lightly, as if it had heard Char's shout.
In the next moment, the mark on Miss Witch's chest ceased to flicker!
"It seems I guessed it right."
Char chuckled.
The reasoning was simple.
Since you said, Miss Witch, that you committed the crime of gratuitous bestowal, then if we render that action null and void, wouldn't it exempt you from punishment?
And judging by the name, the god of justice and judgment would never violate rules.
Char looked up; the mark on Miss Witch's chest had only stopped flickering, but it hadn't disappeared. She still sat slumped in the velvet chair, motionless.
In other words, if Char couldn't reverse the situation next, the punishment would continue.
The key lies in the equivalent exchange.
Char carefully considered and realized that he didn't possess anything valuable enough to match the worth of the ancient artifact, [Formless Demon: Ember].
All in all, he had a little over 20,000 gold coins in his dimensional ring, with a little over 10,000 leftover from Sylvasta's last time.
But such a powerful treasure couldn't be measured in terms of money.
However, as mentioned before, when facing such a matter involving deities, conventional thinking couldn't be applied. So, when Char shouted at the will of punishment, he used the word "sacrifice" instead of "transaction."
What is a sacrifice?
Mortals appease the deities by offering items to gain their blessings and gifts.
That is the essence of sacrifice, in the word "appease."
Char simply couldn't produce something of equal value, so he slightly distorted the essence of it in this matter.
In other words, as long as he presents an item to Miss Witch that can please her and make her genuinely feel its worth, then it would be a successful sacrifice.
So, in the end, he had to please Miss Witch!
Char silently contemplated.
He opened the dimensional ring, attempting to find the items Sylvasta had left inside.
Apart from that, he only had the [Veil of Concealment], the sole valuable item on his person.
Unfortunately, after searching for a while, Char couldn't find the expected items, aside from a pile of shiny gold coins and a few bottles of relatively low-value potions.
Even cosmetics would have sufficed!
Although Miss Witch had natural beauty and didn't require makeup, her bare face could surpass all women in the world.
But perhaps she would be curious about these modern novelties?
Yet, he couldn't find any.
Just as Char was about to give up in despair and consider if he could exchange with a story, he suddenly discovered a wooden box in the deepest part of the dimensional space.
What could this be?
With a slight anticipation, he opened the wooden box.
To his surprise, inside were a pair of exquisitely crafted lace-up high-heeled sandals, and neatly stacked beside the shoes was a pair of black stockings.
Char cleared his throat a few times, trying to conceal his inner embarrassment.
Well, if it were truly a precious treasure, the other party probably wouldn't casually entrust it to him.
But Sylvasta, this sexy and seductive style doesn't suit you.
Such a thought flashed through Char's mind inexplicably, but he shook his head, redirecting his thoughts to the pressing matter at hand.
He lifted his head and subconsciously glanced at Miss Witch, who was slouched in the chair.
In that glance, her pure white and flawless delicate feet suddenly caught his eye.
Char suddenly remembered that from their first meeting until now, Miss Witch had always been barefoot and never wore any shoes.
Was it because she didn't want to wear them, or was there some other reason?
And these high-heeled sandals were entirely black, gleaming with a shiny surface adorned with magnificent gemstones, giving them an expensive appearance.
He thought about the story he had just mentioned, Cinderella and the glass slipper.
"Madam, these shoes... Do you like them?"
He didn't emphasize their value because Miss Witch wouldn't care about such things anyway.
The witch Miss, who had been watching Char, saw the gorgeous high-heeled shoes in his hand, and her gaze trembled slightly.
Seeing her reaction, Char breathed a sigh of relief.
At least she didn't dislike them.
He looked up at the scales symbol above and spoke loudly, "This is the item I offer as a sacrifice."
However, after a long time, the symbol remained unmoved.
Could it be... he had to wear the shoes?
Looking at the sexy-style high-heeled sandals in his hand and then at Miss Witch leaning against the chair, a crazy idea suddenly emerged in Char's mind.
He made a decision in his heart and slowly approached Miss Witch, dragging his broken body.
Before long, he entered the range affected by the symbol.
The punishment from the god of justice and judgment was indeed "just," but it only targeted the witches who violated the rules. Char, who was in the midst of it, didn't feel the slightest discomfort.
He walked up to the witch, lowered himself, and knelt on one knee, gazing at the pale and breathtakingly beautiful woman.
The witch raised her head, looking at him with confusion, seemingly not understanding what he was about to do.
Char and she locked eyes for a moment, and he softly said, "Madam Witch, please forgive my rudeness... but I believe you would look stunning wearing them."
As he uttered these words, the lack of additional power from the witch to restrain the lingering black mist nearby caused it to surge toward Char, almost like a living entity!
Char grunted.
The black mist rapidly engulfed his life, racing against death. In order to keep up, Char quickened his movements.
In the witch's eyes filled with disbelief, he reached out one hand to pick up the high-heeled shoe, while the other gently grasped her soft and smooth soles of feet.
Her petite foot slightly recoiled, but it couldn't escape Char's grasp.
A chilling sensation spread through his palm, with the toes pure white and flawless, subtly tinged with a soft, pale pink, mirroring the cool temperament displayed by Miss Witch.
Feeling the smooth and warm skin in his hand, as if it were jade, Char's mind was free from distractions. He fought against the relentless curse while gently placing the slender and delicate foot into the high-heeled sandal, then slowly fastening the straps.
After completing one foot, he once again held the other slender ankle and repeated the same process.
The vision before him gradually blurred, and Char was well aware that he was once again approaching the countdown of his life.
He had done his best.
He looked at those feet, now even more crystalline and beautiful against the black high-heeled sandals, and felt that he had fulfilled his mission.
Activating his "Explosive Battle Qi" for the second time pushed his already weakened body to the brink of collapse. Coupled with the curse of the black mist surrounding Miss Witch, Char knew he couldn't hold on much longer.
He lowered his head, observing a few drops of his own blood staining those snowy and tender feet, and let out a bitter smile.
Then, using his last ounce of strength, he softly said, "I'm sorry, but... do you like them?"
He hoped to hear the word "like" because only then could he leave this place without any regrets.
Unfortunately, before he had the chance to hear the answer, his consciousness plunged into darkness.
"..."
The witch's rosy lips moved twice, but in the end, nothing came out.
After a moment, as if sensing the achievement of a certain state, the scales pattern trembled lightly, abruptly stopped, and slowly disappeared into the void.
The punishment had ended.
Char didn't know that his final act had successfully pleased the witch.
Even the witch herself didn't know.
She slowly got up, silently gazing at the jade foot wrapped in the sandal and the blood staining its back, without any disgust as she left it untouched.
Suddenly, she thought of the story Char had just told.
The so-called perfect ending and Cinderella's glass slipper.
Cinderella had the prince to save her, but what about her?
Silence lingered.
Finally, in the quiet palace, an almost imperceptible voice spoke.
"...I like them."