Hiss!
So terrifying!
In the past, if you wanted to communicate telepathically, you'd have to form a contract and use a little straw doll woven by Barry as a medium.
But Carrie's magic was so strong that she didn't even need a medium—she could link minds directly. The problem was, she didn't know how to control it. Sometimes she'd connect for a moment, then lose the link just as fast.
When Barry realized this, his whole body went stiff.
The plastic cup of iced Coke in his hand trembled slightly. Droplets rolled down and splashed onto his overalls, but he didn't even notice.
"Are you full?"
"Yeah."
"Then let's go solve the problem."
"…Okay."
An hour later, the two of them stood in a remote mountain area.
They hadn't spoken the whole ride—both wrapped up in their own silence.
After getting out of the car, Carrie suddenly said, "Barry, do you trust me?"
Barry's eyes were pure and sincere. "Trust is just one word—but I mean it."
Thud!
All of a sudden, an invisible force slammed Barry against a tree trunk.
"What are you doing?!" Barry looked at her, startled.
Carrie no longer bothered hiding her aura—it was unmistakably witch's power… and at full strength.
"Barry, since you're my friend, help me." Her magic flared, the fallen leaves swirling into a miniature tornado as she walked toward him step by step, eyes sharp and wild.
"Help you with what? Just talk to me! What you're doing—it's wrong, it's not allowed!"
Barry noticed the change in her—Carrie was losing control. The excess magic inside her was starting to warp her mind.
"I read about this," she said. "When this happens, I need to let it out… completely. And you, my friend—you'll help me, won't you?"
What kind of "letting out" was she talking about?! No, absolutely not!
"Carrie, you're wrong! Don't let your desires destroy your reason—control yourself!"
"I don't understand what you're saying."
Carrie's fingers clenched, and her magic burst forth. Invisible telekinetic force formed a giant hand in the air, locking Barry in place.
This was the danger of growing power too fast—it was backfiring.
Carrie clearly couldn't control her magic well. The more her power grew, the more unbalanced she became, and the more she obeyed her impulses.
Sure, she could vent those urges briefly—but it would only speed up her magic's growth again, creating a vicious cycle.
And in the end? Either she'd use her overwhelming power to trample the whole damn world… or burn out and die halfway there.
"So, Carrie… your fantasy ends here—by my own hand."
Snap!
The straps of Barry's overalls tore loose as he flexed, his sheer physical strength breaking free from the magical grip.
"How—how is that possible?"
Carrie's eyes widened. She hadn't expected that.
In her mind, Barry was just durable—nothing more.
But now surprise turned into excitement. The more he resisted, the more thrilled she became.
"Stop, Carrie. I don't want to hurt you," Barry pleaded.
But it was useless.
Carrie was too far gone—her eyes burned with madness, and her magic spiraled out of control.
With both hands raised, she pressed inward. Invisible pressure condensed again, like a massive glass bowl flipped over Barry, sealing every escape route.
Unless he could tunnel underground, he was trapped—nothing but a fish on the chopping block.
Barry sighed, watching the berserk witch before him. Time to clean up the mess he'd helped make.
Good thing he'd chosen an isolated spot. If this had been in the city, they'd have had a full-blown disaster on their hands.
He could transform—he had plenty of disguises—but Carrie didn't. She only had one body, and if she wrecked it, that was it.
With a slash of his hand, a streak of white light shot out. The invisible bowl shattered.
White bone blades sprouted from his arms, layering and fusing together into a jagged white armor. Fully armed, Barry's muffled voice echoed from beneath his helmet:
"Carrie, you've got to learn to rein in your power. Control your emotions, or one day, they'll ruin you."
Unless… you can transform like me, anytime, anywhere.
"Heehee! I'm not listening! I'm not listening!"
Carrie's pupils glowed crimson. Her magic surged to full force—ten thousand units at once. Air roared around her, spinning into a violent tornado that ripped through the forest.
The trees were torn from their roots, swirling upward. Dust, branches, and stones whipped through the air, blotting out the sky.
"Jeez… she's really overdoing it."
Barry's gaze flickered. He'd always known Carrie's potential was huge, but seeing it up close—it was something else.
Troublesome? Definitely. But he could handle it. He had to.
He licked his lips unconsciously, excitement building. Because facing an opponent like this—yeah, it got his blood pumping.
Let's fight!
Barry's body expanded, shooting up to over ten feet tall.
His bone armor cracked open in places, thick straw vines bursting out, twisting into long limbs that dug into the ground, anchoring him as he advanced through the storm toward Carrie.
"Carrie, I'm taking you down!"
Half an hour later—
The forest was in ruins. Massive trenches carved the land, countless trees lay flattened, and the ground itself was ripped up, like a natural disaster had struck.
So… who won?
Who lost?
The answer came soon after.
Cough! Cough! Cough!
Inside a half-melted block of ice, Barry coughed violently, spitting out clumps of dry straw.
His bone blades and armor were shattered—he was back to his original scarecrow form, smoldering embers on his body snuffed out by frost.
And Carrie?
Not a speck of dirt on her dress. She descended slowly from the air, though her ragged breathing betrayed that she wasn't as calm as she looked.
Step… step… step…
Carrie walked toward him with the confidence of a victor—coming to claim her prize.
She reached out to seize the "core," ready to absorb it—
But then—
Wait… where was it?!
Huh?! Where the hell did it go?!
What the—did Mom lie to me during those "teen education" lessons? Or were those textbooks fake too?!
Damn it! How could this be?!
Carrie's shock left a huge opening—and Barry seized it instantly.
Enhanced Straw Bind!
At close range, her defenses down, the straw lashes coiled around Carrie, whose power was already spent.
And with that one mistake…
she lost.