Outside, the rain continued to fall.
Inside the Witchiecoop dome, Dung's frenzied flaming punches cratered the ground. Long moved skillfully across the light shields arranged in formation, gliding from one to another and coordinating seamlessly with Dreamy.
In terms of magic, Long had little EN. He couldn't compare to Dung—who possessed the Superior AI Witch, Reddy, a fire monkey fueled by seemingly limitless EN from the Witchiecoop Corporation. Long poured everything he had learned from Mrs. Huong in Hope Village—years of relentless training—into facing Dung.
While dodging attacks, Long ordered Dreamy to create small light shields with its wand and launch them toward Dung's head. But Dung was like living flame; physical strikes passed straight through the dancing fire. Reddy lunged at Dreamy, yet the poodle-shaped AI Witch dodged nimbly, calm as ever, tongue hanging out.
"Damn it! This guy dodges too well—it's infuriating!" Dung roared.
He immediately ordered Reddy to raise a wall of fire around Long and Dreamy.
Flames nearly five meters high erupted, sealing off their path.
"Now you've got nowhere to run," Dung laughed maliciously.
Long instructed Dreamy to form a small light shield half a meter above the ground. He jumped onto it, then added another, and another—until a staircase of blue light rose into the air. He climbed swiftly, every movement precise.
Realizing his intent, Dung shouted, "Reddy, make the wall higher!"
Before the command fully settled, Long dashed out of the ring of fire. "Dreamy, make a slide!"
A long, translucent blue slide materialized instantly. Long shot out of the flames and glided down the beam of light.
Impatient, Dung ordered Reddy to lower the wall and pursue them.
Long feigned retreat, then stopped abruptly. He threw a punch encased in a reinforced light shield, making his fist blaze with blue radiance. This time, the blow struck solid flesh. Caught off guard, Dung crashed to the ground, blood trickling from his mouth.
Long smiled. "This isn't an ordinary light shield. It blocks magic. I wrapped it around my fist. What do you think?"
Nearby, Dreamy spoke evenly, "Warning: that punch consumed a significant amount of EN. Please use it sparingly." Its expression remained unchanged, tongue still out.
"I know," Long muttered.
He was drenched in sweat, exhausted and overheated by the relentless flames conjured by Dung and Reddy. In truth, he was worried. With only the small amount of EN Mai had received from her grandmother, he didn't know how much longer he could last. But he had to end this battle and protect the vulnerable Manualees.
Dung wiped the blood from his mouth again. The humiliation cut deep. His pride couldn't endure it.
He tore off his shirt, revealing bulging muscles. "Reddy—assimilate."
Instantly, his body transformed into living fire. It was a technique reserved for those wielding a Superior AI Witch—merging one's body with its magic. This time, he intended to finish Long and erase the disgrace he had suffered.
Reddy roared in response. From the ground, a massive petal of fire surged upward, rising nearly halfway up the Witchiecoop Tower. More followed, clustering together into a colossal tulip-shaped cage of flame, sealing every escape route for Long, Dreamy, and the civilians trapped inside.
Dung pointed to the sky. Dozens of fireballs formed, suspended overhead. He lowered his hand toward Long and Dreamy—and the fireballs rained down like meteors.
Long used the last of his EN to create light slides and dodge. Explosions detonated just inches behind him. Innocent people were caught in the barrage, unable to escape in time.
Hopelessness crept in. His EN was nearly depleted. His strength was fading. He felt as though he were hanging by a thread.
At that moment, Mai arrived at the battlefield. From outside the giant tulip of fire, she saw Long struggling beneath the meteor shower and Dung's relentless assault.
She looked up at the massive glass dome covering the tower's peak. An idea flashed through her mind.
"Miki, use the remaining EN to enlarge yourself. Carry me to the control room at the top of the tower!"
Miki absorbed the remaining blue physical EN from Mai's hand. Its body expanded rapidly, transforming into the form of a true Eastern dragon, then shot upward toward the tower's summit.
Reaching the top, it shattered the glass with its claws and carried Mai inside.
Mai froze.
Before her hovered a dazzling chip encased in multiple layers of anti-magic glass.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ms. Phan's voice came from behind. "I heard the glass break and ran up. I never expected it to be you."
"What is this?" Mai asked blankly. "It's so radiant…"
"That is the core consciousness chip of the AI King Witch—one of the five fundamental cores required to resurrect him," Ms. Phan explained.
She smirked faintly. "As I said, gathering the DNA of AI Witch can only reconstruct a temporary body—one that lasts briefly because his power is too immense. To truly bring him back, all five cores are required. This shortcut was never enough."
She gestured to a red button beside the control panel. "Press that, and a temporary AI King Witch will awaken."
"Then why don't you press it?" Mai asked.
Ms. Phan sighed. "I'm tired. Too much blood has already been spilled for a temporary body of the AI King Witch…" Her gaze drifted to the battle below.
She turned to Mai, her voice breaking. "Mai… I'm sorry. I was shattered when I lost my child. I chose the wrong path. I'm sorry—to you, to Lan, to the Manualee children taken for experimentation, and to all the AI Witch that were liquidated…"
Mai was silent for a moment. "I need to find the dome's control system. Long is fighting a fire-type AI Witch. I hope you'll help."
"Okay." Ms. Phan rushed to the controls. The dome began to open.
Rain poured down, cooling the blazing heat created by Reddy's flames. The fire gradually weakened.
"Damn it!" Dung roared, transforming into flame and shooting toward the top of the tower.
Long shouted for Dreamy to build a ladder of light. He climbed frantically, having glimpsed Mai riding Miki upward moments before.
When he reached the laboratory, Dung hurled a fireball at Mai. Ms. Phan instantly summoned Noddy, creating a defensive spatial barrier that absorbed the impact.
"Ms. Phan, you are truly untrustworthy!" Dung shouted. "I'll reclaim all your EN. Without EN, you'll die. Out of respect for your senior status at Witchiecoop, step aside!"
His gaze locked onto Mai, hatred burning to the bone—as if she were prey stolen from him. Without warning, he launched a sudden blast of flame at her.
Boom.
Ms. Phan threw herself in front of Mai, taking the blow. In that instant, she saw Long struggling up the final stretch. Using Noddy, she teleported Mai and Miki downward so Long could catch them.
"Please save Ms. Phan…" Mai cried when she was caught by Long.
As Long exhausted his final strength climbing the last steps of light, Ms. Phan endured unbearable agony. Her back was scorched; the stench of burnt flesh filled the air. Yet she clasped her hands together, summoning the last of her life force.
"Noddy—high-level spatial magic: compress space."
Noddy flapped its wings. Space folded inward around Dung. He struggled as the flames surged violently. The overheated ceiling collapsed, crushing Ms. Phan beneath debris. Through sheer will, she forced her hands together and expelled him.
The spatial compression condensed all his flames into a single point—then hurled Dung dozens of kilometers away.
Agony overwhelmed her. It felt as though the tower's peak would explode.
The building trembled violently. Windows shattered. Smoke and fire spread everywhere.
Understanding what was coming, she spoke softly, "Noddy, I order you to leave this place."
"Given your condition, that order is not appropriate," Noddy replied calmly.
Ms. Phan laughed.
She collapsed from exhaustion and deadly pain. In her fading consciousness, she thought she heard her son calling her to play.
The tower's summit exploded, triggering a total system collapse.
Long had not climbed high enough in time. It was already too late.
Witchiecoop Tower fell.