Prologue

January 25, 2023

"Ten people were killed in a massacre on a train car."

"A group of schoolchildren hiking has been reported missing since early this morning."

"A mass slaughter has occurred in a private residence. The main perpetrator is suspected to be a magical creature called 'witch' that broke into the house."

"A couple was found dead, devoured by a witch after exercising in an open field."

"A plane exploded after being attacked by a category 3 magical creature."

"A cargo ship sank beneath the sea. Over a hundred people drowned."

"A 40-storey apartment building was completely engulfed in flames. The fire was suspected to be caused by a witch's attack. Dozens of innocent lives were incinerated."

The television was turned off.

Death, it is so close to us. Closer even than the veins in our body. It can come to us anywhere, at any time. No matter who you are. No matter where you are. Death will come to you.

All deaths are predetermined. No one can advance their own demise or hasten it. But in this world, there is one symbol of death. That is the Witch.

So, how does this story begin?

Let us start with this young man.

A teenager named Sizhu. A youth with a handsome face, long black hair cascading to his shoulders, left to flow naturally. His eyes, bright green like emeralds. His skin, pale as most of an Asian. Wearing a simple robe, living in a simple hut, Sizhu lived a life in the secluded valley.

It was night. A few hours ago, rain had drenched the valley. The surroundings felt damp. The red mound of earth by the side of the house looked washed out. The remains of the rain made dew settle on the grass. The muddy ground was soggy underfoot.

Nothing special about today. Just a lingering sadness hanging over the atmosphere around the house. Last night, Sizhu's teacher had just passed away. As if mourning, the sky shed its tears. It rained heavily. Sizhu had been silently staring at the mound of earth in front of him for several hours. Without uttering a single word. Just silent. No matter how many thousands of raindrops soaked him. Sizhu remained unmoved.

Don't know what he thinking, until the full moon rise, changing the backdrop of the sky. Finally, Sizhu made a decision.

He will leave.

Turning around, he walked towards the house. When, by some misfortune or any bad luck, something black in the shape of a sphere flew toward Sizhu. A split second before the object hit him, Sizhu swiftly dodged, leaping to the side. The sphere missed its target. Unfortunately, it was not Sizhu who was the main target. It was his hut.

BOOM!

Fire flower erupted wildly, engulfing the wood. The light illuminated the surroundings. Sizhu was thrown several meters back by the explosion. He fell, groaning, and looked around.

From where did this attack come?

Just moments after Sizhu tried to get up, the black object shot toward him again.

BOOM!

Fortunately, this time Sizhu was quicker to dodge. He leaped to the side as far as he could. After examining the previous attack, Sizhu began to discern the origin of the assault. He immediately ran towards the source of the attack. The black balls continued to explode, trying to blow up Sizhu. Agilely, Sizhu evaded all the shots, running zigzag. The attacker began to come into view. Sizhu stared in horror at the most repulsive creature in the world.

The Witch.

Drawing a dagger from his pocket, Sizhu swiftly struck at the Witch in front of him.

CLANG!

His strike was blocked by a large scythe wielded by the Witch with a bird skull face.

The Witch’s form was horrifying, with a skeletal body partially covered with thin flesh, a large black robe with a hood, and large antlers on its head. Even the sound of its breathing was terrifying. A nightmare.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Sizhu focused on striking from all angles, searching for an opening to attack. The dagger danced expertly in his hands. He parried blows, dodged, and countered. The Witch skillfully wielded the scythe, adeptly spinning it to attack Sizhu. Sizhu, not to be outdone, parried and struck back. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed repeatedly. The clanging startled the nearby rodents, causing them to scatter in panic, fleeing from the fierce combatants.

The dense forest of trees and underbrushes made it difficult for Sizhu to move freely. He ran away from his enemy, seeking a more advantageous battleground.

The Witch pursued him, flying after his prey. They played a deadly game of cat and mouse through the forest. Occasionally, the Witch shot black spheres at Sizhu. With his sharp senses, Sizhu quickly evaded the attacks, ducking and leaping while running. The spheres struck trees and the ground, igniting fires.

The clouds began to part, revealing the light of the moon. Sizhu finally reached an open field where he could move more freely.

Turning to face his adversary, Sizhu assumed a fighting stance. He gripped his dagger firmly in his right hand, level with his face, while his left hand remained behind him. They stared at each other for a moment.

Why had this Witch appeared and attacked him? Why destroy his teacher’s home? What was the purpose?

There was no time to ponder. Sizhu's gaze sharpened. Regardless of who or what it was, anyone who destroyed his teacher's home would face retribution.

Sizhu began to chant a spell, slicing his own palm to let his blood flow into a pattern. Once the pattern covered the dagger, Sizhu charged at the Witch. His dagger severed the Witch’s left hand.

The Witch roared in fury. It chanted its own spell. A magical circle appeared on the ground with a 15-meter radius. The ground trembled, cracked open, and several animated skulls emerged. The Witch screamed and pointed its scythe at Sizhu.

The skulls surged towards Sizhu, attempting to restrain him. Simultaneously, black spheres shot towards him.

Sizhu's eyes darted, analyzing the attacks. He agilely evaded and slashed at the skulls, leaping and striking. While he avoided the exploding black spheres too.

The skulls seemed endless, persisting even when their heads were severed. The only way to end it was to kill the source.

Sizhu danced around, running through the gaps in the swarm of skulls. He aimed to reach the stationary Witch in the center of the field. With a powerful leap, he struck at the Witch's face with his dagger.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The fierce battle raged on. Both combatants engaged in relentless strikes. The scythe swung, and the dagger slashed. Sizhu’s blade struck flesh, legs, and face, while the Witch's scythe caused its share of injuries. Blood and sparks flew with each blow. They fought desperately, ignoring the pain. As the scythe swing, black flames trailed its path. The blood-written runes on Sizhu’s dagger began to glow brightly. Flames erupted, following every movement of the dagger. The area was consumed by the battle's fiery chaos.

BOOM!

Both were thrown back by the explosion of their combined flames. Their breaths were ragged. It was unclear who would be left standing in the end.

They resumed their stances, gathering their remaining strength. Red flames swirled around Sizhu's dagger. He prepared his final, powerful strike.

The Witch also gathered its power. Black flames enveloped its entire body. This intense battle would conclude with a single blow.

SLASH! BOOM!

It was over. Sizhu had cleaved the Witch’s body in two. The flames quickly dissipated. The Witch’s remains turned to ash, merging with the earth. The large scythe was split as well. Once Sizhu’s attack was complete, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

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