When Lust's clothing split open, it didn't stop there—it transformed.
The torn fabric reverted to its original form: a strange, pink mass of interwoven flesh-like tendrils.
They swiftly wrapped around her body, reshaping themselves.
In just moments, Lust had turned into an exact copy of Star.
"How about that? Convenient, isn't it?
With this little thing's help, not only can you deal with life's… unimportant inconveniences," she said with a teasing smile,
"but more importantly, it lets you change your appearance, adjust your voice, and mask your aura—perfect for hiding among humans.
And besides…" Her eyes glimmered with mischief.
"It can bring you pleasures beyond your imagination. Care to give it a try, little sister~?"
"Uh… I'll pass, thanks."
Hel felt a flicker of curiosity, but the moment she saw those countless writhing tendrils, her skin crawled.
And when Lust mentioned she'd have to keep it inside her body, that was the last straw.
You've got to be kidding me. She was a witch now, not some tentacle-fetish magical girl!
"All right, Lust, please don't frighten our newcomer," said Fate gently, stepping in before Lust could pull out more "toys."
"Besides, from the looks of it, Lady Death already has her own ways of handling such matters. There's no need for concern."
After putting a stop to the bizarre sales pitch, Fate turned back to Hel.
"As you can see, the Witch Court is a place for sharing information and trading goods.
Of course, the most common items traded here are witch products."
"Witch products?" Hel asked.
"That's right!" Star said brightly. "My Stellar Elixirs, Fate-sis's Water of Fate, and Lust-sis's Potion of Desire are all witch products.
As for the raw materials for those…"
At that, Star's cheeks turned bright red.
Seeing her embarrassment, Lust smirked wickedly.
"Oh my, and what are those raw materials, little Star? I'd love to know."
"T-that's… um… that…"
"Enough teasing her, Lust," Fate said kindly, stepping in again.
"To explain it simply, witch products are made from a witch's bodily fluids.
Saliva, blood, urine, sweat—each contains a different form of divine energy.
Blood, of course, holds the greatest power, followed by saliva.
Those are what we usually trade here in the Court.
As for the others—well, witches generally don't trade those. We're not that kind of degenerates."
As she said that, Fate cast a knowing side glance toward Lust, her tone faintly pointed.
"Of course, there are certain witches with rather… particular tastes. But those are rare exceptions."
"Oh my, my, my~" Lust purred. "Fate, are you implying I'm one of those exceptions?
How cruel to strip me bare before our adorable newcomer—it's so embarrassing, you know~
Still, little Death, if you're ever interested in a trade, I have plenty of marvelous treasures.
All it would cost you is a few tiny drops of your precious essence~"
"Uh, no thanks."
Hel refused immediately, mentally stamping a huge red label over Lust's face: SUPER PERVERT.
"Are you sure?" Lust teased, leaning closer. "I've got lots of wonderful toys~"
"Enough, Lust," Fate sighed, clearly used to this. "Our Death witch is still a child.
She has no need for your… tools."
With that, Fate reached into her robe and pulled out a delicate bracelet, holding it out to Hel.
"This is a Charm of Fate, woven from my own hair.
It will shield you from divination magic and lift curse-type spells.
Consider it a small welcome gift for joining the Witch Court."
"Wow, hair holds divine power equivalent to blood, you know!" Star whispered as Hel accepted it.
"So, little Reaper, don't go handing your own hair out so easily.
It grows really slowly for us witches. Only Fate-sis can afford to be that generous—she's lived so long she probably doesn't even notice losing a few strands—Ow!"
Star yelped as Fate flicked her on the head again.
"Star," Fate said sweetly, "a proper lady doesn't speak ill of others behind their backs."
"All right, all right, I was just kidding! Stop hitting me or I'll get even dumber!"
Star crouched down with her hands over her head, clearly surrendering after several well-aimed bonks.
"Well then," Fate said with a faint smile, "that concludes today's Witch Council.
The next meeting will be held on the full moon next month.
You're all welcome to attend—to trade goods or exchange information.
But one last warning: as witches, never place blind trust in anyone—
not your friends, not your family, not even the other witches sitting here.
May Fate bless you all.
And when the next council convenes, I hope I won't be hearing of anyone's… unfortunate demise."
As her words faded, Hel's vision blurred—and when she came to, she was lying back in her bed within her castle.
For a moment she was dazed, thinking it had all been a dream—
until she felt something in her hand.
Opening her palm, she saw it: the Charm of Fate.
[Name]: Charm of Fate
[Rarity]: Red · Sacred Artifact
[Attributes]: Veil of Fate (Red), Mark of Fate (Red)
[Description]: A single strand of hair from ??? of Fate.
Grants resistance to prophetic observation.
Be warned: when you gaze upon ??? of Fate, ??? of Fate also gazes upon you—and meows at you once.
[Extracting Attributes...]
[Veil of Fate (Red) — Extracted Successfully]
[Mark of Fate (Red) — Extracted Successfully]
[Elf Girl's Hair (Red) — Extracted Successfully]
As the charm crumbled into glowing embers, Hel finally let out a long breath.
"Never trust anyone… including you, Fate?" she murmured.
Meanwhile, far to the west of the three human empires, deep within a remote and ancient forest,
stood a magnificent hidden city.
At its heart, inside a grand palace, a young elf girl with golden hair and long ears lay fast asleep.
Even among the famously beautiful elves, her looks were unparalleled.
Though her clothes were disheveled and her hair tangled from sleep, her beauty still seemed almost divine.
Then, slowly, she opened her eyes.
Those radiant eyes—bright as stars—held a depth of wisdom that spoke of countless ages lived.
It was as though, inside that small, childlike body, dwelled the soul of an ancient being who had witnessed the rise and fall of worlds.
"Oh? Discovered already?" she murmured, her lips curling into a faint smile.
"How impressive. It seems our new little Death Witch… isn't as simple as she appears."