[They will always desire you.

My everlasting sins.

I’ve burdened you.

Forgive me.]

…

…

“Teeeheeeee! Eat you! Issel will definitely eat you!”

I know that voice. Just like when she took over Glacia…it’s exactly the same. And yet…different. So familiar and yet far away. However, this voice…it is more childish. High yet still visceral, a chainsaw ripping through your guts. It giggles ceaselessly, hungry for more.

Not the same as Lissandrei.

But I am certain of it.

This voice is too similar…

You must be a…

Witch.

All the jumping, roiling water, it stops in that one moment. As if this was all some grand ceremony to welcome the birth of a goddess. And amidst the darkness and rotting murk, a smell most vile hits our senses first. Like the sickly sweet last breath of a dying man, it stinks and yet forces you to take it in. Her voice echoes...echoes...and echoes, sending the Demi-children scrambling to the deck, searching for cover.

“So this is a Witch..hehe…no big deal…r-right, Boss?” Meera’s mask tilts and I can hear her panting beside me.

“...” Echo stands rigid in front of us with her back turned, facing the black void beyond the boat. I think I hear a barely discernible growl coming from underneath her heavy cloak. Her short sword is loosely held in her hand, unmoving. As for myself, I keep my eyes fixed forwards over Echo’s shoulder, searching that darkness for a hint of what’s coming. And then…I see it. Rising from the mist and fuming waters. A woman most foul. Just beyond our boat. Unlike Lissandrei who took on the angelic form of my teacher, this goddess is not perfect at all. Her form could still be considered beautiful to some. If you only looked at her top half. She seems almost blind. Her eye sockets are empty, glowing red pits. Skin, white, haunted, paler than one who has never seen the sun. A demented smile stretches her ghoulish face. It reminds me of a vampire about to bite into a juicy throat. Over her soggy tresses, she wears a white goat’s skull like a helmet, and atop the curving horns, a velvety red witch’s hat. There are two sinewy braids hanging under her hat’s brim, one on each side. A bloodless, naked eyeball dangles off each braid, swiveling about wildly in front of her empty sockets. The bouncing eyes seek us out and I have to resist the urge to cower from their disgusting gaze like the Demi-children. And that’s just the top half…God…what is this thing?

Beneath the hungry smile, and her laughing goat’s skull, the body is human until the waist. Beneath the belt, there are not…legs. Not in the traditional sense. A great serpentine bundle of fleshy cords, tentacles if you will, shoot down into the water. And then re-emerge all around her like a bouquet of arms. The ends of these tentacle arms are the jawless corpses we’ve been fighting. I realize now that this thing…this Witch…is far larger than I ever imagined. She…floats…glides…swims…over the water, with arms of corpses, like a giant octopus pulling itself across land. Her goat’s skull turns towards us, the eyeballs dangling from her hat locked on mine. And then…she roars-

“TEEEHEEE! COME BE MY FOOD!

HELP ME COME BACK TO LIFE!”

*Splash*

*Splash*

…

…

…

*Splash*

My head can’t turn fast enough as her ‘arms’ arise on all sides, their jawless smiles dripping green preservative. Our boat is surrounded, the corpse tentacles wriggling higher and higher and higher into the air. When they reach their peak, the arms hang there, waiting to come crashing down and smash our boat apart. The Witch’s main body sinks low into the water, her hat and goat skull just peeking over the surface. I hear her whisper-

“Teehee..become my food! BECOME MY FLESH! BE MY NEW BONES!”

*Plop*

And then she drops below the waves-

How do I even fight this thing?

Lissandrei was so powerful…and she was only possessing Glacia.

This Witch’s body…it’s monstrous.

Would Romy be able to fight this?

*Tap*

I’m hypnotized watching the corpses sway on their arms.

They’re going to crush us.

Someone taps me on the shoulder and I startle.

“W-What?”

“Wake up, idiot!” Meera hisses into my face. She has a dagger in one hand, her fan in the other. Snapping it open, she takes a stance. “I know you’ve had a bad experience with these things before, but that was a long time ago! You’re a Rainstopper now, Boss! Why are you making that scaredy-cat face? Is the Secthead I chose to follow scared of a little girl’s corpse? Are you, or are you not going to be the next Raingod?!!”

Raingod…me?

Yea…just like Romy.

I beat Janus.

Meera’s right.

I’m older now.

Even if I can’t use Foresight.

No matter if fire magic won’t work.

I can’t afford to be afraid.

I’m not scared…definitely not!

This thing! I-I’ll freeze it solid!

For sure…oh God…why are there so many arms-?

Y-You’re kidding me right?

Aren’t Witches…a little too strong?

*Whoosh*

The corpses begin to crash down as the Witch tightens her embrace-

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

[Frozen Water of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

“Here they come, Boss! More ice! We need more!”

“I’m chanting as fast as I can-!”

The corpses slam down like fists of God, enclosing us on all sides. My hastily summoned ice shards smash into them. Bits of flesh and bone blow off, but these things are literally undead. Even with holes torn into them, the Witch’s arms still keep coming. Too many! So many!

“Boss, we have to go!” Meera yells out as her last throwing knife leaves her hand.

You…want to abandon ship?

My gaze travels to the Demi-kids huddled on the floor. Their transformed raccoon-eyes stare back at me piteously. Begging me not to leave. I know why they’re bothering me. These kids…they look…just like Natalia. Back then…outside her burnt little house. You were so desperate for someone to latch onto. For someone to tell you it’s all going to be okay. There’s a huge weight building on my chest. It’s getting hard to breathe. I realize I already have wind magic on my lips. For some time now, I’ve been prepared to escape. On my own. Running away again. I…I’m sorry. My magic can only destroy. Never save. If this was anywhere else…if I could cast some real spells…I’d blow the monsters away. But even with all my training…right now…Natalia…am I really going to have to abandon you again?

“Boss, what are you doing?! COME ON!” Meera tugs at my arm, wild-eyed as the whistling corpses reach the boat. Jawless skulls grin at me with empty sockets, growing larger with every split second that passes. In a second, they’ll split the hull and disintegrate this place. But all I see is three little Natalia’s begging me to stay. I…I need to go…but she’s right here…

“What are you idiots doing! Run!” Echo whirls around. She sees Meera yanking on my arm, my gaze fixed on the Demi-children. The Stranger’s lieutenant cocks her head…and then flickers. Her hand reappears on my other arm. She tugs me closer with a brutish, violent pull. Echo presses her mask to my ear. With a voice like ice, she roars, “Leave them. They’re too weak to survive!”

“But…don’t you see? I need to save her.”

Or I’d be useless.

Meera yells at me from the other side-

“Boss, you can’t help them!”

“No…guys…you don’t understand…Natalia’s…right here.”

The tugging on my arm stops.

*Whistle*

*CRACK*

My eyes snap up from the terrified Demi’s as rotten corpses slam down all around. Wood flies. The boat’s disintegrating! Magic…I need to use magic! Chill…Frozen Seal…Ice Lance…none of them can stop that many enemies. There’s no time! And Burn will just blow us up! I think of spells, so many spells, but the ones I come up with will do no good. Someone on this boat…some coward…he starts to chant a Gust quietly. Eventually, I realize it’s me. My tongue hesitates. No…no…I can’t run away again…but…I want to live…right? And…we need to go now…if I want to live…I just have to say the words-

“S-Sorry!”

[Stormy Breeze of My Loneliness-]

“M-Mister! Don’t leave us!”

*Whoosh*

A figure blurs into existence from the darkness. Unbelievably fast. Tall and gaunt, his face covered by a white smiling mask to match the Witch’s skull, the Stranger lands in our boat. He bends down and rips something from the Ferry-Rat’s corpse. Standing up, there’s a black necklace in his hand. He holds it out like a cross against evil over the dark water. Scarlet blood drips off the chain links as the Flesh Witch’s corpse-arms reach for us-

“STOP! ISSEL, YOUR CONTRACT DEMANDS THAT YOU LET US PASS!”

“Teehee?”