Stepping out of the Rabbit Hole, what greeted them wasn't a bar in a border town, nor a school in disarray, but a…
An abandoned factory, as if forgotten by time.
The massive dome was already dilapidated, revealing the gray sky outside.
Several faint rays of light slanted down like searchlights, illuminating the dust floating in the air.
The rusted steel framework, like the skeleton of a giant beast, silently supported this vast ruin.
Machines that had long ceased to operate were covered in thick dust and cobwebs, and the ground was littered with broken concrete blocks, twisted metal parts, and industrial waste that crunched underfoot.
Dead silence.
This was the first impression.
But soon, more vibrant traces pierced through this deathly grayness—
Graffiti.
Lots of it, so glaringly colorful it was almost provocative.
They were like wild-growing vines, climbing over rusted pipes, mottled walls, and even the remains of colossal machinery.
The style was rough, the lines wild, full of a violent street vibe: snarling wolf heads, coiling, hissing snakes, bleeding skulls, crossed machetes, twisted gang acronyms...
These symbols, full of threat and territorial claims, were imprinted like beastly claw marks in every corner of the factory.
Clearly, this was not a true no-man's-land.
A once-active underground gang had made this abandoned place their lair.
As for why it was 'once-active'...
Not far in front of Serie, on a supporting pillar, next to a large, menacing black spray-painted skull graphic...
Someone had delicately spray-painted a...
rainbow pony.
That's right, the kind of cartoon pony with a rainbow-colored mane, a cute curly tail, and an adorable smile on its face.
It was painted so vividly, with extremely high color saturation—red, blue, yellow, green—as bright as an overturned candy jar.
Against the backdrop of the surrounding bloody or dark graffiti, it exuded an almost demonic sense of incongruity.
... Serie's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly; no matter how many times she saw it, this rainbow pony was still so full of things to complain about.
But someone liked it very much.
As for who that was...
"Heh." A soft chuckle, tinged with lazy amusement, brushed through the eerie silence like a feather.
Following the sound, Serie looked past the rainbow pony towards the shadowy corner formed by the slanted I-beams.
There, a tall, slender figure stood.
Neon Shadow Witch.
Yes, this was Australia.
She was wearing a sharply tailored matte black jumpsuit.
Over it, she casually draped a short, metallic dark purple jacket, like flowing neon under the night sky.
Her short, purplish-blue hair, streaked with electric blue highlights, fell loosely, a few strands brushing her finely sculpted jawline.
At this moment, she was leaning languidly against a steel beam, arms crossed, one long leg slightly bent, her toes lightly tapping the ground.
Billie's face curved into a playful arc: "Why did you take so long to get back?"
Serie felt the subtle sense of closeness brought by "Witch's Philanthropy" deep within her consciousness.
Her nerves, taut from the battle, finally relaxed completely.
It turned out that even while Zoya was fighting, Serie had already been considering their escape route.
They clearly couldn't openly escape the Control Bureau's pursuit from a densely populated city.
Serie simply controlled Kuchiha, having her open a Rabbit Hole here with Billie.
This place was naturally the old site of the Wild Beast Gang, and since those animal friends were either dead or had fled.
Billie, as the only "survivor" member, naturally made this the best hiding place.
Serie looked up at Billie; although she only left 10% of her mental power in this clone, even so, Serie's high-level mental power was enough for Billie to communicate and think normally, with only some limitations in her abilities.
With the addition of Kirishima Kuyo, Serie's team's mobility achieved a qualitative leap.
Not only could Zoya easily escape pursuit within Russia, but Billie could also directly bypass that deep-sea behemoth and run rampant in other areas, making the pursuit of Centipede and Toad much easier.
But now... a wave of fatigue washed over her.
Serie's thoughts stirred, and she closed "Twin Phantoms," leaving most of her consciousness in Kuchiha's body.
Serie recalled what had just happened, and she was starting to understand the mechanics of this "Witch Simulation Game" more clearly.
This so-called rebirth, as the name implies.
It captures souls struggling on the brink of death or possessing witch potential, grants them "rebirth" to become true Witches, at the cost of them completely merging with Serie, becoming extensions of her will, a part of her power.
In exchange, Serie's tasks are generally tied to their deepest desires.
This is actually mutually beneficial, a win-win...
No, that's not right, after all, they are now one with Serie.
Then it's Serie winning twice, which is also a win-win.
Except for Mad Eater Witch, who seems to be a bit special, Wildfire Witch, Neon Shadow Witch, and Crafty Rabbit Witch are probably all like this.
They start in perilous situations, not because Serie is unlucky, but because they were already close to or already dead.
However, even though Zoya, Billie, Goluthos, or Kirishima Kuyo were completely different people from Serie, from the moment of their rebirth, they all merged with Serie, becoming the same person.
Just as Kuchiha thought, Serie "connected" them.
Serie sank deep into the old sofa.
Beside her, Billie lay casually, her legs propped on the back of the sofa, her whole body almost sliding into the folds of the cushion, only her fingertips still rapidly sliding across her phone screen, the faint glow illuminating her focused profile.
On the other side, Zoya held the stem of a vodka glass, her wrist gently turning, causing the ice cubes to clink against the glass. She listened to the crisp sound of the collision, a slight smile on her lips, then tilted her head back, and most of the clear liquid in the glass disappeared.
Serie's current emotions were very subtle.
A strange sense of connection intertwined between them.
Was it the excitement of victory? The reassurance of having "companions"? Or Kuchiha's longing for home?
Perhaps, the three were already indistinguishable.
"Oh, right."
Serie murmured softly, casually tapping a half-dented metal trash can beside her with her toe: "Still one more."
The opening of the trash can instantly warped, transforming into a swirling, psychedelic hole.
Whoosh!
Unicorn Rabbit leaped directly inside.
A few minutes later, a pair of pale hands reached out from within.
Mad Eater Witch Goluthos crawled out, but the hole was a bit too narrow, and she stumbled as she climbed out, causing the trash can to tip over, almost making her hit her face on the floor: "Woah!"
Serie reluctantly extended a helping hand.
After a flurry of fumbling pulls and the clang of the metal trash can falling over, Goluthos finally tumbled out like a radish forcibly pulled from the ground, almost getting a mouthful of dust.
Alright.
Crafty Rabbit, Wildfire, Neon Shadow, Mad Eater.
The Witches' den, the whole family is here.
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