Witch Taming System

Lancel gambled on his last shred of luck.

With his broken body and his dizzy mind, he activated Chains of Dominion. In that instant, within the edges of his peripheral vision, translucent purple chains began to materialize.

Because of Heidi’s lack of response, Lancel quickly drew a conclusion. She either couldn’t see them at all or she simply didn’t regard them as any sort of threat worth acknowledging.

The confidence on her face remained untouched, her smirk still plastered on her face as if nothing had changed.

Clink——!

However, the moment the chains wrapped around her torso, Lancel confirmed it. Even as they tightened around her, even as they bound her in place, her expression still didn’t change.

The smirk remained, and her gaze stayed just as calm as before, as if nothing had touched her at all.

And because of that, Lancel found his answer.

Only he could see these chains.

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[Authorities]

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➤ Chains of Dominion II

[Description:]

∎ Marks contracted witches with a hidden sigil, binding them to the user’s will.

∎ [NEW] Hostile witches will be forcibly marked and bound through direct contact with the manifested chains, allowing temporary subjugation even without a prior contract.

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An absolute insurance against witches.

With this, Lancel’s fear of witches no longer held the same weight it once did.

Gripping the translucent chains, Lancel stepped forward, his hand tightening around something only he could perceive.

At the same moment, Heidi began to cast a spell.

"...Huh?"

Her eyes widened, the first crack in her composure appearing as her mana failed to take shape before her spell could even manifest.

All bloodied and battered, a wide grin slowly spread across Lancel’s face as he tightened his grip on the chains and pulled them back with force.

"You’re done for, you fucking bitch!"

Perhaps it was the thrill, or the sudden rush of exhilaration, or simply the surge of adrenaline coursing through him, but the pain in his body barely registered, consumed by the realization of what this meant.

Not just for Heidi, but for every witch who thought they could take advantage of him.

Thud!

The moment he tugged the chains, Heidi’s body gave in without resistance, her balance completely stolen as she was forced down, falling face-first onto the floor.

"Ugh...!"

Lancel slowly approached. Reaching out, he raised the chain that had coiled itself around Heidi’s neck, lifting it just enough to force her gaze upward until it met his.

"How are you... doing this...?" she asked, the fear on her face no longer concealed.

She tried to manifest a spell again, forcing her mana to respond, but before it could take shape, Lancel pulled the chains once more.

The forming spell collapsed instantly, and in its place, a rough whimper escaped Heidi’s lips.

"You goddamned witches..." Lancel said, blood dripping from his forehead. "Always me... It’s always me... Trying to mess with me... with my mind... with my heart..."

Lancel tightened his grip on the chains, his fingers digging in as the tension ran through them.

In truth, there was something deep within Lancel’s heart that resented Leticia. He resented her for making him confused, for making him feel like a normal human, for leaving him without even giving him a chance to say goodbye.

She had left him with too many questions.

Questions about who she really was and what she truly wanted from him.

And part of Lancel regretted ever meeting her.

———!

Heidi attempted to cast another spell, but Lancel pulled on the chains again, cutting it off before it could take form.

Then, he leaned down. His hand rose and cupped her cheek as he forced her face closer, her lips pursing as a result.

"Who the fuck even are you, huh?" Lancel continued. "So many plots. So many ploys. Can’t you witches just... make up your minds for once instead of trying to kill me every single time?"

"S-Spare me..."

Heidi had never been a combatant. Back then, she had pathetically lost to Faust Lieber, a witch who was a century younger than her.

Despite the number of witches she had killed, Heidi had never truly experienced a proper magic duel, relying instead on overwhelming her opponents with sheer force.

Dimensional magic offered many advantages, allowing her to win without needing to move much.

So now, faced with a man like this, someone who had destroyed every advantage she once relied on, Heidi found herself shaken.

His feral expression, the anger burning in his eyes, the limp in his step, and the clearly broken arm he still forced to move, all of it drenched in blood, formed a sight that made her skin crawl.

And in that moment, Heidi felt fear again, the same fear she once felt the day she had been cast out of the Witch City of Riviere.

Thud!

Lancel yanked her back by the chains and drove a swift kick into her face.

Gender inequality?

That didn’t apply here.

What was the point of treating a woman with care when that same woman had nearly killed him, pushing him into this state, to the point that his vision was already beginning to blur, as if he were about to pass out.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Lancel relentlessly kicked Heidi. Her face, her body, anything within reach, as blood spilled from her lips as she tried to fight back, her hand weakly grabbing his leg as she screamed in pain.

She attempted to cast a spell in desperation, but Lancel pulled on the chains once again, cutting it off, forcing another gush of blood from her mouth.

Why... just why?

Why couldn’t she cast a spell? Why couldn’t she get away like she always had?

Why were her spells failing her now?

"Spare me... I’m also a victim... like you..."

At that moment, Lancel paused.

"A victim?"

"You hate... witches... don’t you...? So do I... They took everything from me... Even though I pleaded... I didn’t do anything wrong... it was an accident..."

Heidi’s murder count didn’t even register to her anymore as she pleaded with Lancel, the same way she had once pleaded with the Grand Witch, Cyrene.

To her, she was nothing more than a victim of the unfair system the witches had in place, a system that had forced her into this kind of life.

To meet her end like this, in the same pathetic manner as before, was something she simply couldn’t accept.

"Please..."

But Lancel’s head was already spinning. Most of her words didn’t even reach him, fading into a dull ringing instead, as blood began to drip from his ears.

He wasn’t sure how many bones and organs Heidi had broken while she was toying with him, but by now, Lancel had already vented enough.

Lancel unsheathed Arondight.

"Please...!"

"Lancel, wait—"

Slash——!

And as a voice resounded from somewhere, Lancel brought Arondight down without hesitation, ending Heidi’s life.

"Haaa..."

Lancel stumbled, then turned, catching sight of Faust rushing toward him, before his body finally gave out and he collapsed.