The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch
Chapter 158 - Multiple Dreams, Dancing with the Devil (5/6)

The Keyman was furious. The green light on the ring in their hand flashed, and the young girl’s head directly tumbled and fell to the ground. After bouncing a few times on the ground, it rolled down the stairs.

Just this one glance, the Keyman instantly sensed something was wrong.

No, the feeling of the neck being sliced was wrong...

The Keyman’s eyes widened abruptly.

“Dream Thieves” cannot simulate feelings they haven’t experienced.

Is this a dream? When?!

Stopwatch... The stopwatch? When she was looking at the stopwatch?

No, incorrect!

Damn it!

The Keyman abruptly raised their left hand, lightly stroked the ring on their right middle finger. Green light burst around them, cutting towards everything around like sharp blades.

The wooden table on the holy platform was instantly sliced into pieces, turning into purple mist and dissipating. Even the ground was sliced into countless fragments as if cutting tofu.

Rumble—!

The entire space abruptly shattered into purple mist and dissipated. Suddenly, the Keyman opened their eyes.

Luxurious wool carpet, exquisite solid wood furniture, soft sofa, and complex crystal chandelier—this was the room from before!

The Keyman suddenly looked at the Faceless before them, holding the light orb, silver light flickering in their hand.

Rip—

Countless wounds abruptly appeared on the Faceless young girl’s body. Even her clothes were torn.

“From the very first time the ‘dream orb’ exploded, you had already dragged me into a dream?”

The Keyman’s face showed a distorted smile, nodding repeatedly with a twisted expression.

They were laughing out of anger.

Truly laughing out of anger.

A newly started “Dream Thief,” a novice, actually tricked them the very first time they used their ability.

Even the initial immaturity and crudeness were simulated very well, completely without flaws.

But thinking about it carefully, would a genius “Instigator” like her truly be completely ignorant of the “Dream Thief’s” abilities? Especially when there were two “Dream Thieves” in her squad.

Would she truly not learn about the “Dream Thief’s” abilities?

“Good, good good.”

The Keyman smiled twistedly. The monstrous face began to spread towards their left face. They could even see illusory superimposed images before them. They said coldly, “Directly double dream the first time, huh... You are truly a genius. Truly a genius.”

“But... this is as far as you go.”

Schlick—

Before them, the young girl’s head was directly sliced off. Even her spine was cut perfectly flat. However, no blood flowed from her body, as if the blood was locked within.

This was the Keyman, using the sealed artifact’s transparent thin blade, to block her bleeding points.

In the sacrifice within the dream-within-a-dream, the young girl’s fresh blood was used. They also had to use the young girl’s fresh blood to avoid any mistakes.

“Heh...”

The Keyman snorted coldly, looked at the young girl’s corpse, reached out, grabbed the back of the corpse’s collar, held her head, and walked towards the door.

Knowing the young girl’s method of controlling that archbishop, the Keyman could also replicate it using their ability.

Even in the dream earlier, the incantations for the new blood array the young girl wanted to summon had already been memorized by them.

And the Faceless could no longer stop them.

...

A carriage stopped at the entrance of the Clock Tower Church. The Keyman, covered in blood, dragging a blood-stained burlap sack, crossed the cordon and pushed open the church door.

“Lord Ciel...?”

Tara looked at the Keyman and said.

At this moment, the Keyman’s face was still a distorted monstrous appearance, but the aura emanating from them perfectly simulated the Faceless’s aura. Not even the imprint aura of the evil cult bishop was left out.

This was the “Instigator’s” ability enhanced by “Subverter.” Although it couldn’t change their appearance, it could perfectly simulate auras.

This was also thanks to the Faceless changing her appearance frequently. This allowed them not to waste time deliberately changing their appearance... And her appearance, even if a “Coroner” or “Reborn” were to operate on it, could no longer be changed. The potion’s erosion had penetrated deep into the bone marrow.

Following the young girl’s previous actions, the Keyman began controlling Tara, having her gather the transcendents.

Preaching, bleeding, drawing the new blood array, even leaving the archbishop named Tara behind, perfectly replicated all the young girl’s actions in the dream.

Very good...

Everything in reality proceeded in an orderly manner. The Keyman’s expression also gradually relaxed.

They looked at the blood array that was already set up before them, slowly spoke, and recited the new incantations.

The blood array, flickered with bloody brilliance.

It’s done... This time, it’s truly...

Just as the Keyman’s lips twitched, gradually turning into a smile, the bloody brilliance before them flickered again.

This is... Why?

Why?

The Keyman looked at the young girl’s body parts, thrown into the blood array by them, inside the burlap sack.

Whoosh—

A sound of rushing air. A green semi-transparent scythe blade tore through the burlap sack, revealing the body parts inside.

The body was clearly here. Why, why isn’t the blood array working? They clearly felt the spiritual buzzing, felt the response from the Other Side. The ritual should have succeeded. Why?!

Not enough? Not enough blood?

The ring’s surface brilliance flashed. A cultist bishop’s head was directly sliced off, tumbling in the blood array. However, this had no effect. The blood array’s light was still dissipating at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“Tsk...”

A faint sound of contempt sounded from behind. The Keyman turned back angrily, only to find the Faceless had already cut her wrist with a carving knife.

“*****.”

An incantation never heard before was uttered from the red-haired young girl’s mouth. The blood array before them rapidly changed. All the blood twisted into different paths, beginning to re-emit bloody brilliance.

The array, restarted. And the young girl’s fresh blood formed blood threads, connecting with the array.

She, changed the blood array?!

“You’re tricking me?!!”

The Keyman was furious. The green light on the ring in their hand flashed. The young girl’s head directly tumbled and fell to the ground. After bouncing a few times on the ground, it rolled down the stairs.

Just this one glance, the Keyman instantly sensed something was wrong.

No, the feeling of the neck being sliced was wrong...

The Keyman’s eyes widened abruptly.

“Dream Thieves” cannot simulate feelings they haven’t experienced.

Is this a dream? When?!

Stopwatch... The stopwatch? When she was looking at the stopwatch?

No, incorrect!

Damn it!