The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch - Chapter 64

Twenty consecutive wins… Twenty-five… Forty…

One hour… Two hours… Eight hours…

As each round of Death Roulette concluded, Ciel’s stamina gradually waned.

Midway through, her gun had “misfired” a few times, ending up in the hands of her opponents. But every time they pulled the trigger, they ended up blowing their own heads off.

Corpses piled up on the steps, yet the gamblers below had completely bloodshot eyes, as if they had lost all reason—at that moment, Kitty placed a third-tier “Fated One” potion on the table.

Almost everyone’s attention was drawn to the “Fated One” potion. The gamblers, desperate for a chance to turn their fortunes around and rise to greatness, had completely lost all reason. Like mindless corpses, they rushed forward in ecstatic frenzy, immediately taking the place of each fallen challenger.

Fifty consecutive wins… Sixty… Seventy…

Ten hours… Twelve… Fourteen…

By now, more than half of the original gamblers had perished, yet news of the spectacle continued to spread. More people arrived at Deton Manor, drawn into the cult-like fervor.

Ciel’s finger had gone numb from pulling the trigger. Her mind grew sluggish with exhaustion. She fired mechanically, barely aware of her actions.

Several times, she clearly saw the bullet tearing through the barrel toward her forehead—yet she nearly pulled the trigger on herself anyway. The mindless repetition had dulled her senses.

Her body barely held on, forcing her to take intermittent breaks just to continue.

But the hall’s feverish intensity showed no signs of fading.

With every gunshot, Kitty’s voice grew shriller, almost to a maddening pitch. Eventually, even Avena and Adele began clapping and cheering wildly. Even “Crown Guard” Nia raised a fist, celebrating every kill.

Without realizing it, they had all been swept into the frenzy.

Eighty consecutive wins… Ninety… Ninety-nine…

Bang—!

When Ciel, trembling, raised her gun and fired the last bullet into her opponent’s skull, she gasped for breath uncontrollably. The revolver slipped from her numb fingers.

That familiar voice echoed in her mind again.

“You are the chosen ‘Gambler’… Drink it. This is the will of Mother Goddess Sadhana…”

Ciel’s brain buzzed. The heap of corpses before her seemed to blur and distort in her vision. Her thoughts became sluggish, as if she were drunk.

Forcing herself to stay lucid, she looked toward the crowd.

Beneath the stairs littered with dismembered bodies, the once-frenzied gamblers had stopped moving.

They made no sound. They simply stood on the blood-soaked floor, staring at her in eerie silence.

From the corner of her vision, she saw a silver suit of armor tremble violently.

Suddenly, the armor broke free from some invisible restraint. It lunged toward Avena, scooping her up and sprinting toward the exit.

“In the endless darkness, I call upon You, Sadhana…

“In the fractures of time and space, Your presence transcends all…

“Your silent whispers echo in our souls, bringing both fear and awe…

“…May this child walk Your path, surpassing mortals and embracing the eternal abyss…”

Inside the sealed chamber, Kitty’s murmurs slithered into Ciel’s mind. Below, all the gamblers had knelt.

Among them was Adele—kneeling, her eyes vacant, muttering incomprehensibly.

“Do you hear it? She has given her blessing.”

Kitty slowly raised her hands, removing her mask. A look of enraptured devotion filled her face as she turned toward Ciel.

“She says you may begin the ritual now, young one.”

【Calm Mind Lv.2】

A cooling sensation rippled through Ciel’s mind, dispersing the fog clouding her thoughts.

She lifted her gaze toward Kitty, forcing herself to speak.

“You… are a ‘Missionary’…”

The ‘Ascetic’ path did not belong solely to the Church of the Savior Goddess—Avena had mentioned this before.

A faster way to advance in this path was to become a cultist, spreading doctrine through forced indoctrination.

Kitty was no “Gambler.”

She wasn’t just a casino administrator.

No.

She was both the administrator and a worshiper of an evil god.

And the majority of the people in this room… had unknowingly been converted into cultists.

“You’re perceptive, child.”

Kitty’s gray, corpse-like eyes locked onto Ciel as she smiled.

“A gifted genius like you is perfect to serve Her.”

Ciel’s right hand moved against her will, reaching for the “Gambler” potion.

“Don’t be afraid, child.”

Kitty stepped closer and brushed a bloodstain from Ciel’s cheek with her fingers.

“Once you hear Her, once you feel Her… you will thank me.”

Before her, the system screen flickered to life, displaying a countdown.

【Countdown: 00:11:58】

Only eleven minutes remained.

At the end of this day-long massacre—one hundred lives taken—this was the final moment.

Ciel’s right hand, still under control, lifted the “Gambler” potion. Her left hand uncorked it, tilting the swirling thunderclouds toward her lips.

A prickling numbness spread from her throat through her veins. Her mind descended into chaos. Her heartbeat thundered in her skull, drowning out all other sounds.

“Child…”

A voice—holy and divine—resonated in her mind. The unbearable agony gripping her brain eased ever so slightly.

Ciel didn’t notice the blood streaming from her eyes.

Standing atop a mountain of corpses, she opened her bloodstained eyes and looked toward Kitty, who now stood upon the gambling table.

Behind Kitty, a swirling mass of black light coiled like an ominous halo, its depths filled with roiling darkness.

As Ciel attempted to gaze further, a stabbing pain jolted through her consciousness.

“Ugh…”

She clutched her chest, feeling a warm hand rest atop her head, dispelling her fear and pain.

“Child, what is your name?”

Kitty knelt gracefully before Ciel, lifting her chin as she asked in a gentle voice.

“Ciel…”

“A beautiful name.”

Kitty’s smile widened.

“From now on, call me Priestess.”

“Yes, Priestess.”

“Now, tell me—what is your relationship with those who disrupted our plans?”

“P… plan?”

Ciel looked up, bewildered.

“It’s alright, child. I was too impatient.”

Kitty smiled and brushed her fingers over Ciel’s eyes.

“You should rest now…”

A profound drowsiness overwhelmed Ciel, filling her with an eerie sense of peace.

“Repeat after me—Mother Sadhana watches over us.”

“Mother Sadhana watches over us…”

Ciel’s consciousness plunged into darkness…

…

Suddenly, a blinding silver light tore through the void.

Ciel stood still, staring at the gray-eyed, expressionless version of herself before her, her heart pounding.

What… just happened?!

【Would you like to save this character file?】

Taking a deep breath, Ciel steadied herself and refocused.

“Save to No.3.”

A silver flash filled the air.

The empty No.3 slot was now occupied—by herself.

A long-haired, gray-eyed, eerily blank-faced Ciel.

Above the name, two ominous titles were displayed.

【No.3: “Gambler,” “Cultist” Ciel】

She… had been brainwashed into a cultist in the simulation?

The white glow faded.

Scenery returned to her vision—she was seated in the casino’s lounge, with a translucent system interface before her.

【Reality】

【Saint Year 741, June 20, 08:08 AM】

【Evaluation: Congratulations, Host! You finally have a religion now ^^D】

【You’ve become the greatest “Gambler” in history—your cheating remains undetected. But then… you joined a cult! Hahaha!】

【Claim your rightful rewards.】

【Rewards: Fate Points × 25, All “Character Save Slots” Unlocked】

【Fate Points: 64】

【Note: When all slots contain a first-tier character from every path, the Host will gain a free “Old Days” simulation.】

【In the “Old Days” simulation, the Host can alter reality and create a transcendent path of their own.】