The rain continued to fall.
Just minutes before the Witchiecoop gate exploded, Long and Kiet arrived at Witchiecoop headquarters in the heart of Puresight. The group hid behind rain-soaked trees, waiting for the right moment to move.
Mai whispered, her eyes fixed on the gate.
"There are two guards up ahead, armed with electromagnetic guns. Beside them are two fox-type AI Witches—fast as lightning, capable of taking down an opponent with a single strike. We have to be extremely careful."
Long nodded slightly, then turned to her.
"Mai, lend me the EN account card like last time. With it, things will be much easier."
Mai glanced sideways, her voice tinged with annoyance.
"Hmph. Last time you used enough EN to buy an entire city. My father was so angry he cut off my EN supply completely. Now I only have a few physical EN coins my grandmother gave me. You'll have to make do with those."
Long frowned, disappointment flickering across his face. This would be much harder.
Mai suddenly went still, suspicion flashing in her eyes.
"But it's strange… you assimilated Dreamy's magic and consumed a huge amount of EN, yet you weren't harmed at all. Why?"
Dreamy's eyes flashed gold, as if responding to the unspoken question.
"That can wait. Now watch me." Mai waved her hand, summoning Miki. The small Eastern golden dragon appeared, its body shimmering as it projected a perfect illusion of Long and Mai to the left of the gate.
The guards immediately chased after the illusion.
Mai smiled confidently.
"See? Miki doesn't just print and project simple images. It's one of the rarest AI Witches in my family."
Long forced a wry smile. In his mind, he thought: It's still just an illusion… the only difference is that Mai uses it more intelligently. She doesn't really know how to fight.
Before he could react, Mai grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. They slipped to the right and entered through the door using the access card they had taken from Ms. Phan's basement.
The gate swung open.
They rushed inside, running frantically through the headquarters, afraid someone might double back. Whenever a shadow flickered, they pressed themselves against the wall, held their breath, then darted forward again.
The long, dark hallway was empty. Their footsteps echoed alongside their rapid breathing.
Behind them, the guards realized they had been tricked. The two AI Witches tore through the illusion and turned to trigger the alarm. Suddenly, a violent explosion shook the entire building, freezing them in place.
"The Manualees have revolted! The front gate has been destroyed! Send reinforcements immediately!" a frantic employee shouted while running past.
Long kept running, breathing hard.
"What was that explosion? It sounds serious!"
Mai replied urgently, "It must be the people of Manualee and Uncle Lam taking action. We have to hurry!"
They reached an intersection. The employees had been ordered to evacuate due to the riot, so the interior was deserted. Bright white metal walls surrounded them, sterile to the point of coldness. The sharp scent of disinfectant stung their noses. Overhead, color-changing glass panels cast a cold blue light. Along the hallway, LED screens and 3D displays continuously projected Witchiecoop's W logo and the Group's slogans.
Long turned, his voice tense.
"Which way?"
Mai thought quickly before deciding.
"We have to split up. Head straight to the top of the tower—the lab is there. According to Ms. Phan's documents, the children and the decommissioned AI Witches are taken there for liquidation. Mimi is probably there too. Whoever gets there first waits for the others."
Long nodded. There was no time to hesitate. They split up at once, disappearing into the dark corridors.
Outside the Witchiecoop gate, chaos reigned.
The people fought back fiercely, holding banners that read: "Release the Children," "Evil Corporation," and "Stop Replacing Labor." Broken signs lay scattered across the road as smoke and fire billowed into the rain. Tablets still glowed, projecting flickering 3D slogans.
The crack of electromagnetic guns echoed deafeningly. In the sky, AI Witches flew in chaotic combat, diving and clashing. Some were struck and spiraled down through the rain.
Among the people of Manualee, a few carried low-level AI Witches and charged forward recklessly.
Screams filled the air. Many AI Witches had their cores shattered, their lifeless bodies scattered across the ground. Witchiecoop's forces were fewer in number, but their AI Witches possessed overwhelming firepower. Against them stood only the sheer determination of a desperate crowd.
One person fell. Then two. Then three… more bodies collapsed, swallowed by the pouring rain.
At the top of the towering glass structure, a massive round canopy slowly unfolded, shielding Witchiecoop employees from the rain and sealing off any escape routes.
A giant red monkey appeared, wearing sunglasses and a red cap with the word "Reddy" printed in bold white letters. It clenched its fists and slammed them into the ground. The earth trembled, rocks shot into the air, and nearby people were thrown in all directions.
Standing atop its head was Dung—the commander of the AI Witch Liquidation Team. He laughed loudly.
"Hahaha! You're bold, I'll give you that—daring to storm Witchiecoop headquarters. Today, I'll teach you a lesson!"
A devilish smile spread across Dung's face. He was finally unleashing his full power under the corporation's orders. The thought of burning everything around him made his heart race; the thrill sent a shiver through his body.
Without even needing to assimilate Reddy's power, his fists erupted in flames, striking down anyone in his path. He charged into the crowd like a madman, leaving behind blazing explosions, deep craters, and a trail of severely injured people and shattered AI Witches.
Reddy, the superior AI Witch, was just as brutal. It punched through structures and scattered the crowd. Electromagnetic gunfire and thrown bombs struck it like sparks against a furnace, causing no damage. It continued smashing everything in its path, mirroring its master's fury.
The people of Manualee were overwhelmed. Screams echoed through the rain as flames spread with no chance of escape. It was a one-sided slaughter.
Some Witchiecoop employees, moved by sympathy for the civilians and children, tried to pull them from the battlefield. Dung showed no mercy, knocking them aside in an instant as he sneered,
"You fools! You have no EN, you don't even know how to command an AI Witch. You're the bottom of society—no one needs to pity you!"
The people of Manualee were crushed beneath superior power.
A child suddenly cried out in terror. A mother from Manualee rushed forward, scooped up her child, and tried to flee.
Dung turned toward the sound.
"That crying is giving me a headache!"
He lunged forward, his flaming fist descending, intending to incinerate both mother and child. The mother wrapped her body around the boy, shielding him.
Thud.
A blue shield absorbed the blow. Dung staggered half a step back. Recognizing the familiar magic, he frowned.
Long and Dreamy had arrived.
Whether he had lost his way or could no longer ignore the carnage, Long had stepped directly into the battlefield between Manualee and Witchiecoop.
The child continued to cry as the mother held him tightly. Long's eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched. The memory of Mrs. Huong comforting him flashed through his mind, but now it was mixed with fury as he took in the fallen people and shattered AI Witches around him.
Once again, Long stood face-to-face with Dung.