Chapter 1194: Ceasefire - Licking Wounds...

Hogwarts — Pillar Headquarters,

United States of America.

Pillar Villanelle grunted as the Medics worked on her.

Her left hand was gone.

Her left leg was gone.

Half of her remaining body was burnt beyond recognition, looking like charcoal.

Worse, she had stopped receiving the constant supply of Mana from the Witch of Endor right after what had happened in the Reality Marble an hour ago.

To think that a mere Mirror Character, even one from the Fate Bubble, held the power to harm a Pillar like her so horribly... almost killing her.

She — the Reincarnation of an Immortal — the Strongest Character of a Pillar timeline!

But her burnt state wasn’t the worst news for their side, as once her Mana supply was restored from Avalon’s end, she would start healing more quickly.

The silence from the Order of the Immortal Lotus was unnerving indeed.

However, with a Character from the Fate Bubble storming into the War between the Pillars and Mirrors, Villanelle could understand the gravity with which the Six must be taking this matter.

So, she wouldn’t let this silence become a blow to her people.

What she felt helpless against, though...

Madam Villanelle looked to her left, biting through the pain.

There, lying on beds, battered and bloodied, were the Ultramarines; only four of them.

Part of the reason she had suffered these injuries was that she had wanted to save these Characters.

Unlike what Voldemort had claimed, Villanelle knew that these soldiers hadn’t accepted the request to join the War on their side as mercenaries.

The two squads of Strike Force Invictus had come here to repay Dumbledore.

It didn’t change the fact that they were from an entirely different Bubble.

In fact, Madam Villanelle had never considered the possibility of a single one of these men dying in the War.

Because these were not mere men, but Pillar Characters as well.

Moreover, these weren’t just any Pillar Characters, but Characters well-versed in handling the strange abilities of various Bubbles.

The Harry Potter Bubble might not even make it to the list of Threatening Worlds for them.

It hurt to think that, but Madam Villanelle knew where her Bubble stood in the grand scheme of the Multiverse.

The one Marine who had died in the battle against Voldemort’s army had already dealt a massive shock, but had still been acceptable.

Yet, presently, the reality of the scene in front of her slapped her across the face.

In that moment, an hour ago, Villanelle had realized that the only way she could save these men, all of them, was to sacrifice herself.

Perhaps she might not have died even then.

Villanelle had failed to gamble on that "perhaps" in that split second, though.

So she had grabbed the four strongest and cast her Magic, breaking through the Reality Marble and teleporting back to the Headquarters.

Villanelle looked at the four men: Lieutenant Varro, Sergeant Cassian, Sergeant Corvinus, and one of the two Librarians, who had power over lightning.

Their armor had suffered heavy damage. Despite her protection, the explosion had wounded them nonetheless. Still, even after suffering all those injuries, they were awake. What was most surprising was that their exposed faces carried no mournful expression, only blankness.

These were men who had fought countless battles together, weren’t they? Villanelle thought. Then how...

"Look at you," a hiss entered her ears, making her face twist in loathing and pain. "The Great Spawn of a Biblical Witch..."

Madam Villanelle looked away from the men — real men — and glared at the creature.

Voldemort was looking at her with a disgusting grin, barely able to suppress the urge to say — I told you so!

The Dark Lord dismissed the Medics before stepping forward and brushing his pale fingers against her charred body.

Though incapable of feeling his touch, Villanelle felt nauseated.

"Well... Can’t really blame you, either," Voldemort said, grinning as he snatched back his fingers. "Women are incapable of making sound judgments. Something I have only recently confirmed with back-to-back examples."

Villanelle, though unwilling to admit it, knew what he was talking about.

It was related to the betrayal of one of the outsiders — Cash.

In one move, she had weakened the entire Pillar front in this War by destroying one of their greatest trump cards, the Death Star.

Who would have thought she would go against the Order so late in the game, choosing to support the Yellow Warlock without anyone knowing?

And for what?

What incentive must the Yellow Warlock have given her for her to switch sides so abruptly?

That man...

He was no ordinary outsider, either.

For him to think so far ahead, bringing a Fate Character to the Mirror Timeline and using him against the external help the Pillars had sought in the form of the Ultramarines...

No.

There was a great mystery in all this; a greater conspiracy.

The question was: When did the Pillars begin succumbing to this conspiracy?

An even greater question was whether the conspiracy had ended or... had it just begun?

Cash’s betrayal wouldn’t have mattered much if they hadn’t lost another outsider mysteriously.

Now, from the three outsiders, only one was on their side.

But, with Death Star gone, for how long would he remain so?

She had to get in touch with the Order to get a full picture of the events that had played out behind the scenes, Villanelle knew.

For now, the Mirror side had seemingly lost the first battle on paper.

But it was she — the leader of the Pillars — who had lost the game against the Yellow Warlock.

Before the next battle began...

"I am taking the lead," Voldemort hissed, smiling. "You should focus on healing..."

"You wouldn’t!" Villanelle snapped, suddenly coughing up a mouthful of blood and groaning in pain.

"This is the choice of the people, Madam," Voldemort said, turning around and calling back the Medics. "They have seen your grandness. They have also seen what that grandness has led them to... Uncertainties. Now, they need a decisive hand. My hand."

Villanelle saw Voldemort’s cloak billowing as he disappeared, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

Letting out a grunt, she lifted her burnt hand and squeezed the fingers into a fist.

Because Villanelle knew that this was the time to lick their wounds and regroup, but...

... Voldemort had neither the intelligence nor the patience for any of that!

*************

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